Fake It
by DJ The Serendipitous
Summary: When Kagome takes off in the middle of the night with the jewel shards, Inuyasha thinks that's the end of it. But when he comes face to face with his child and Kagome's reincarnation later, he realizes it's not over just yet. Rated M for everything.
1. Pilot

**So my friends all are kind of disowning me for this. I used to watch Inuyasha when I was a wee itty bitty kid and after I got into college, I just started watching it again. Needless to say, I figured out why I stopped watching it. The entire time, he's all 'no, I don't like Kagome' when he really does and it's super frustrating to watch them parade around each other like they're stepping on glass. Not only that, someone told me the end of the series and that just pissed me off more.**

**So this is what I think should've happened. Note, it will be twisted and it will be M. **

**~Don't own Inuyasha or Fake It by Seether~**

Chapter 1: Pilot

Police sirens echoed down the street as people gathered and chatted with each other, the sounds of their voices too distant to reach human ears.

Izumi, however, heard it all.

_Is that her child…?_

_You heard Kagome Higurashi's screams? How awful…_

_This Shrine has had all sorts of misfortunes…_

_That child looks so skinny…_

Izumi's small fists clenched as snow and ash fell in her strawberry blonde hair. Barefoot on the freezing cold ground, she didn't feel a thing. Not the wind blowing around her dirty ragged dress, nor the torn jacket failing to cover her sufficiently from the cold. Her pink lips pulled back a bit to reveal overly sharp teeth as she glared at the spectators with darkened gold eyes. God, how she hated them all. They smelled awful, like plastic dolls painted in sin.

A hand settled on her shoulder and she looked up at the young man standing above her, black hair a mess and a five o clock shadow gracing his features. He had clear brown eyes that gave her an intense concerned look. "Izumi, are you okay?" He asked, shifting his stance. His black overcoat fell open and his police uniform was revealed, giving him an adequate excuse to stand there and talk to the only witness. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Sota." Izumi said tersely. "Are you here to take me away?"

"Only if you want me too." He said gently, taking her hand.

Izumi took her hand away in shock, and then slowly put her hand back in his. How odd to be cared for like this. Suddenly the cold shot its way from her feet and she shivered. "Yeah…Yeah I do. The smell makes my nose hurt."

Sota led the supernatural child away from the mess and chaos, disturbed. There were hardly any sign in his niece's countenance of remorse for her late mother; hardly anything at all besides deep-seated anger. He wasn't quite sure what would scare him more, remorse or the heated tension that now wired every bit of the little six year old's brain.

~*FAKE*IT*~

From another corner of the property, closer to an abandoned building high on a hill, another being hid and viewed what was transpiring. From his spot on a large rock, Myoga watched in curiosity as the child was placed into the car. He had seen her before, though she'd been hardly a week or so old. Her name didn't concern him. What did, however, pique his curiosity, was the child's origins. Obviously the offspring of Kagome Higurashi, but who was the father? And the way that child stood, facing an entire crowd of people like they were…well, humans. She treated them like insects below her feet, unworthy to stand in her presence. Like she hated them. Maybe she wasn't entirely human after all…

He shook his head. No. Kagome may have been with a foreigner, which would explain the neighbor's puzzlement as to the child's parentage and the small girl's amazingly bronze hair. But now Kagome was dead. From where Myoga sat, the stench of burning flesh was very strong. If his master were here, it'd make his nose hurt.

Myoga started back towards the well, ready to report the death of Kagome Higurashi to his lord.

~*FAKE*IT*~

The punch he'd given her should've disconnected her jaw, sufficiently stunning her so he could begin his work. Instead, she came right back and disconnected his. His head met the concrete and his rattled brain scrambled for an answer. What the hell? This wasn't supposed to happen. He, the demon, was supposed to hit her, the human, and watch her go down. He'd then proceed to rape her, and then feed on her soul. He'd done it millions of times before. Why was he having such difficulty now? He was the predator: the demon, for god sake. He should be listening to that skinny blonde's screams as he plunged into her again and again…

The demon was pulled up by his shirt and he grasped onto the slender hands hoisting him up into the air. For the first time since the 1920's, he felt fear race through his system. He'd managed to survive thus far by avoiding larger predators. Had he finally run into one this far into the game?

Her eyes were vivid gold. Oh dear God, she wasn't human at all. He knew it.

"The best thing about living with humans…" She drawled and he shuddered involuntarily. "…is that you begin to smell like them." She growled and he squeaked in response, his elfish ears quivering. "This means I can hunt pieces of shit like you who keep ending up in my territory!" She slammed him into a tree and he felt his spine crack.

He had heard about the dog demoness with the gold eyes who smelled like a human. She had been rumored to have a large territory, but he never expected it to be large enough to include a part of his hunting grounds. He thought he'd been safe from her and her hunting parties. "P-Please…!" He rasped. "Spare me…! I didn't m-mean anything by hunting here…!"

His captor snorted. "God, if I had a hundred yen for every time I heard that…!" She smirked and her fingers met inside his neck.

Blood gushed out of him, fountaining Izumi and making her light red hair even redder. The tank top and jeans she wore quickly became soiled and she tossed her prey's corpse away in disgust. "Uncle Sota will have my head…" She laughed at this, trying to imagine the fifty year old man having _any_ advantage over her. He'd aged since that day he'd taken her in, his brown hair now gray and receding. In fact, he looked a lot like Izumi's late great grandfather, though more aesthetically pleasing, that was for certain.

Izumi, however, was age thirty five and still looked to be sixteen or seventeen. Sometimes it paid to be a being from hell.

Izumi checked for witnesses in the small park before picking the corpse up, throwing it over her shoulder. She groaned. "The worst thing about living with humans is they're too nosy for their own good." She had realized a while ago that she couldn't kill other demons and leave them there. More often then not, they didn't disintegrate, which left a body and a lot of questions.

She jumped a fence and headed for a more industrial part of town. If the bodies wouldn't disintegrate, she'd just help them along. Lord, how she loved fire…

~*FAKE*IT*~

Sota enjoyed tea in the afternoons. Relished it, almost. It was the one time of day he didn't hear 'Hey Ojii-san! Where the hell is the remote?' or 'Hey Ojii-san! I killed another demon and I got a lot of blood over the walls! Hope you don't mind!' He exhaled, thinking about his unruly niece. "The Gods give me more trials then one man needs." He muttered, but he didn't mind all that much inside. Izumi was the only family he had left and even though she was reckless and impertinent, she made up for it in being helpful and kind to him in her own way.

A knock on the door startled him and he glanced at the clock. The shrine was closed to visitors at this hour (a good thing because Izumi usually came home around now, covered in blood and grinning like a maniac.) and his niece usually burst through the door. He sighed and rose, groaning as his bones rubbed against one another. Had it really been thirty five years since he'd taken Izumi in, both young and unsure of each other? He opened the door, a smile plastered on his face as he gazed at a young Jr high school girl. "Good evening miss. What can I do for you?" His eyes widened as she realized she was crying, tears pouring down her face as she tried to pull a disheveled sleeve back on her shoulder. She had scratches and bruises all over her legs and arms.

"I-I'm sorry." She whimpered, her voice soft. "I just need some help…"

"Come in! Come in!" Sota moved out of the way. "What's wrong?"

The small girl moved inside his home, taking off her shoes before entry. "I'm sorry, it's just…you're in charge of the local shrine, so you must be a holy man of some sorts and I…have a problem with…" She hesitated. "With demons."

_Lord, what has Izumi done now?_ Sota inwardly groaned. "Please, take a seat and you can tell me all about it." He escorted her to his living room. He flipped on the light switch and gasped.

The girl looked almost exactly like Kagome. Her hair was just under her ear lobes, but she had the exact same facial features as his late sister, body type and all.

She sat on the green couch, almost getting swallowed up in it. She was so unbearably skinny, like a little rag doll. "My name is Kiki Sagawa." She said shyly.

"I am Sota Higurashi." He bowed to her. "Nice to meet you. Please, tell me what has happened."

"I…I don't know how it started, but…these things just kept popping up and bugging me…things that other people couldn't see…" She sighed. "They'd ask me about some sort of 'sacred jewel', and then cause trouble for me when I said I didn't have it. It was okay at first. But then the bigger ones started to appear…" She shuddered. "They'd show up at my school and threaten to beat me when I wasn't around friends. I had to run home every night. Sometimes they'd still find me. The only reason I escaped today was because a woman saved me…" She bit her lip, tears in her eyes. "She told me to come here and talk to you."

"Did she have reddish blonde hair? A scowl on her face?" Sota asked, demonstrating the facial expression so comically (and so undeniably identical to the one that was, no doubt, on his niece's face constantly) that Kiki laughed.

"Yes. That sounds exactly like her." She nodded, a smile on her lips. "Do you know her?"

"She's my niece. Her name is Izumi." Sota replied, smiling with his hands clasped in front of him. "I'm glad she saved you." However, Sota was worried. 36 years ago when his elder sister appeared from the well for the last time with a bloody screaming baby and jewel shards, he hadn't thought it important to ask questions. She'd been exhausted and plagued by the constant thought that someone would come after her for those shards, so Sota had assisted his grandfather in sealing the well to discontinue the allowance of one to go from the past into the future and vice versa. Kagome had kept the jewel shards on her person at all times. In fact, they had burned with her in the fire six years after she came back. Could it be possible that they had been resurrected in this young girl who seemed to be a reincarnation? It had happened to Kikyo, hadn't it?

Sota sighed. "You're welcome to stay here. My niece and I can offer you protection."

"How old is your niece?" Kiki asked politely.

"Thirty – " Sota paused. He was sure that if he revealed his niece's true species, Kiki would no longer feel safe to be here. And he wasn't sure that was the best thing for her right now. Also, Izumi's reputation as the irritable barhopping human had been hard to set up. To ruin it all on a slip of the tongue… "I mean…" He laughed awkwardly. "She acts like she's thirty five, but really she's only eighteen."

The door opened and closed and Sota heard Izumi come in. However, the ever mocking 'Hey Ojii-san!' wasn't forthcoming. She came in, glanced at Kiki with what Sota could only imagine was hate, and then walked out again.

Kiki was startled. "Oh my…!"

"I'm sorry, she's a bit preoccupied with something apparently." Sota already had all sorts of excuses for his niece's rude behavior. He looked at the door apprehensively. "I hope she didn't treat you this way earlier."

"I'm afraid so…" Kiki bit her lip. "She believed I was another demon, sent from hell to plague her with Kagome's image." She paused a bit. "Who is Kagome?"

"My late sister and her mother." Sota sighed. He could already see the puzzled look on Kiki's face. _Why on earth would anyone hate their mother that much?_ It was a question he'd been trying to answer for thirty six years…

~*FAKE*IT*~

Sota waited until his guest was fitfully asleep on the couch before venturing to seek out his niece. He had a feeling she'd still be on the grounds. Despite Izumi's misgivings about this girl, she'd stick around to make sure demons didn't attack. Sheepishly, Sota realized it made him feel safe that his niece would be the one on the front line of battle and not him. He was only half the spiritual man his grandfather was, unable to conjure up a simple spell to stop Izumi in her tracks so she didn't run off from a conversation. Then again, Izumi wasn't your normal demon.

The temperamental dog demoness as sitting at the edge of a small stream that Sota had put on the property. He'd obsessed over the gardens ever since the shrine had been left to him, making it seem so peaceful and serene. This shrine had been fairly popular since then. He approached his niece cautiously, watching the moons reflection on the water cast shadows on her face. He stood next to her, switching his gaze to the building that held the ill-fated well on the hill. "Interesting resemblance." He said in a half hearted attempt to sound off handed. This was a sore subject with his only surviving family member.

Izumi ran her hands through her reflection angrily. "Dammit!" She yelled. "I _hate_ her!" The vehemence in his niece's voice sent chills down Sota's spine. "I _hate_ Kagome!"

"Izumi…" He hesitated. "Izumi, I know you hate talking about this but I have to know…The day Kagome died, did she have the jewel shards on her person?"

"Naturally." Izumi snorted. "She never parted from the damn things."

Sota opened his mouth to comment on this, but the wind changed direction, blowing into their faces.

Izumi's eyes widened and her nostrils flaired. Her head snapped to a bush on the other side of the stream. "Goddammit!" She snarled and launched herself at it.

Sota watched in amazement as something orange and blue hurled itself towards him.

"Sota! Sota, it's me! Dammit, call her off!" A young man grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him a bit. His long reddish brown hair fell over his shoulder, tied back by a familiar blue ribbon. He was slender, clothed in blue and tan with pointed ears and a bushy fox tail waving behind him.

"Get the fuck away from my uncle!" Izumi snarled, swiping at the intruder.

He dodged and backed away. "Look, I'm a friend-!"

"Whatever!" Izumi barked.

"Oh my God!" Sota yelled. "Izumi! Stop! It's Shippo!"

Izumi, however, didn't care if this demon was Johnny Depp. She was going to kill him. She jumped him and sat on his chest, wrapping her fingers tightly around his neck.

Shippo panicked as he felt her claws slowly start to dig into the flesh of his neck. He gritted his teeth and grabbed her forearms, snapping, "Foxfire!"

Izumi yelped and let go as her arms were engulfed in blue flame. She jumped back next to Sota and glared at Shippo, licking her forearms. For now she'd retreat.

Shippo straightened out his clothing, dusting himself off. "Damn…Sota, where'd you get that nasty little bitch of a demoness?" He sniffed the air briefly. "I hate dogs." He said disdainfully.

Izumi snarled in reply and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"You've grown up!" Sota laughed incredulously, running a hand through his gray hair. "How've you been?"

"You've grown old." Shippo teased, putting a hand on Sota's shoulder. "I've been great. Myoga and I were just coming to say hello and check on things. How are the jewel shards?"

"They went straight to hell with Kagome." Izumi stepped in between her uncle and Shippo, staring the newcomer down. "I can help you get there, if you like." She cracked her knuckles.

"Izumi, please." Sota put a hand on her shoulder. "However, she is right Shippo. They were never found in the debris from the fire that killed my late sister."

"So go away." Izumi snapped, gingerly rubbing her injured arms.

"You know, the barking isn't really helping. Bitch." Shippo shot back.

"Fuck you!" Izumi hissed, taking a step forward.

"Please! Let us stop this fighting!" A voice came from Shippo's right shoulder.

"What the hell…?" Izumi peered at the source. "A talking bug?"

Shippo laughed into his hand.

"Flea, actually." Myoga cleared his throat. "My name is Myoga the flea. Who might you be?"

"Izumi." Sota interjected before his niece could embarrass him further. "Izumi Higurashi. She's my niece."

"Kagome's kid?" Shippo asked, exchanging a glance with Myoga.

"Pardon me, Miss Izumi." Myoga called. "But it seems there is some question as to…your ah, species."

"So?" Izumi growled.

"Well, I myself am an expert in this area, so others tell me. Perhaps if I could sample your blood – "

"Wait…" Izumi scowled more. "As in drink it?"

"Naturally."

"Fuck no!"

"Izumi!" Sota said, exasperated. "Let him do it."

Izumi growled and offered her hand unceremoniously.

"Actually, Miss Izumi, your blood is fresher when it's closer to your heart – " Myoga started.

"Too bad."

"Izumi!"

Izumi grinded her teeth together and pulled the neck of her tank top down a little, revealing the creamy top of her breast just before her bra.

Shippo swallowed visibly and averted his eyes. She had a temper but damn, that was some incredible sex appeal.

Myoga hopped onto Izumi's skin.

"Don't get any ideas – OW! Fuck!" Izumi raised up a hand to smack Myoga but Shippo grabbed it. She winced as he put pressure on her burn, making her hand go limp in submission. She glanced up at the fox demon and he gave her a casual look back. Her eyes narrowed and she looked away, bottom lip jutted out in an unmistakable pout.

"My God…" Myoga said, startled. "You're not going to believe this, Master Shippo."

"What?" Izumi drawled. "I already knew I wasn't human."

"Oh, of course not." He reassured her. "You're a demon, but not a pure blood one. Definitely a dog demon, too."

Shippo glanced sharply at Myoga. "Are you suggesting…?"

"Sesshomaru, yes. Possibly, but highly unlikely." Myoga replied to whatever unspoken inquiry that had been posed in Shippo's response. "But my God….she tastes like…like…"

"Inuyasha." Sota said calmly.

The night, and their conversation, was shattered by a loud bang and a scream.

"Goddamn Kiki!" Izumi yelled and tore out of Shippo's grasp, running for the billowing smoke that was the Higurashi house.


	2. New Divide

**No ostracizing yet. I'm kinda waiting for it… *sigh* How sad. Anywho, finally all the introductions are over and I can kill things! God!**

**So the title of this chapter (and I guess kinda the title of the fic too) have nothing to do with what's actually written here…I just kinda listened to that song a lot while I was writing. FAIL DJ.**

**~Don't own Inuyasha or Fake It by Seether or New Divide by Linkin Park~**

Chapter 2: New Divide

Izumi never flinched before rushing into the fight. What good would it do to hesitate in this instance? Lives would be lost. Precious seconds where she could prevail would be wasted. Instinctively she used her heightened hearing to pick out the exact location of the emergency.

The screeching of something horrendous filled the air as the smoke cleared, revealing a hideous looking squid with several lashing tentacles, tearing through the house Izumi had called home for as long as she had known. No eyes were present, but it had a large gaping hole of a mouth horrendous jagged teeth, a snaking tongue lashing out in animalistic freakish behavior.

Kiki struggled like a mad woman, firmly in the grip of one of the largest tentacles the thing had. She sobbed dryly, eyes fixed on the terrifying mouth as she was drawn closer to it. She could feel the tongue darting out and trying to slide around her leg. She kicked out in vain, letting out a shriek. "Help me!"

Izumi launched herself at the thing, hand held back and claws flashing in the light of a half moon. She swung in a downward arc, taking off the appendage that held Kiki.

It twitched and loosened, dropping Kiki as blood sprayed all over. The monster and the girl's screams rivaled each others as Kiki dropped like a stone towards the ground.

Izumi tensed, knowing she was too far to catch. She was going to get hurt. She blinked as she saw a familiar orange and blue blur snatch the girl out of the air. "Damn fox is good for something." She muttered and squared off with the monster. "Alright, ugly! C'mere!" She jumped up and smashed her fist into the soft flesh above it's mouth.

Shippo stopped next to Sota and set Kiki down. "She's wounded. Her side."

Kiki shuddered as she clasped her fingers over the source of gushing blood. "I-It hurts…!" She moaned.

Sota kneeled next to her, dismayed. He put his hand over the wound, gingerly probing it to see the extent. The flesh gave way to his prodding fingers and Kiki cried out as it tore from her body, falling into Sota's outstretched hand. Oddly enough, the chunk of bleeding tissue he held in his hands started to glow.

"Oh my god…" He muttered, clearing away the red matter. "It's the jewel shards. They've been…calcified." He held up a bloody half of a jewel, still dripping with its keeper's plasma.

Kiki stared at it in disbelief. "That was…_inside_ me?" She whispered. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she crumpled to the ground, out cold.

"Well, shit." Shippo said dryly. "Now we _have_ to go down the well."

Izumi cried out and landed in the tree next to them, falling onto the ground with a sickening crack. "Mother fucker!" She screamed, grabbing her leg.

Myoga hopped up to Shippo's ear. "I think it would be best to retreat now. Master Inuyasha will want to know of the fate of the jewel shards and I doubt this opponent will ignore the liabilities the ladies and Sota now present."

Shippo exhaled. "Damn…you're right…" He picked up Kiki. "Come on, you two! We're going down the well!"

"We can't!" Sota said as Izumi dragged herself over. "My grandfather sealed the it! It is never to be opened!"

A large tentacle slammed in the space between Shippo and Sota, startling them.

Izumi grabbed a hold of it as it started to slide back. "Obviously it didn't work, Ojii-san! I'll hold the damn thing off! Go!" She snarled as it lifted her high into the air, screeching a call.

Shippo hesitated. As annoying as Izumi was, she was going to get herself killed like this. He looked down at the unconscious bleeding girl in his arms. "Let's hurry." He told Sota and took off at a jog for the well.

Izumi was hurting. Her knuckles were bloody and her leg was most definitely broken. She couldn't open her right eye, it was so swollen and covered in blood from a head wound. Every time she got close to the damn monster, thirty tentacles smashed her out of the way. Vision hazy, she stumbled back from the last crater she left. "God…damn…overgrown…sushi…." She panted. Where was Uncle Sota? Did he and Kiki get away? Damn that fox, he better watch over them! Izumi fell to her hands and knees, whimpering as it sent shock waves through her broken leg.

The monster in front of her roared, a tentacle searching the crater where she had just been. Izumi saw it inching towards her, but she didn't care anymore. A shuddering cough racked her body and she winced as blood specked the ground from her mouth. Her arms finally collapsed and she fell forward. She couldn't take much more.

The smell of fox came to her nose, appearing to her left. She scowled, lifting her head up. "What…the hell are you…doing here?"

"Saving your ass." Shippo hurried over to her, turning her over. He grunted as he lifted her up, placing her on his back like he was giving her a piggy ride. "Damn…Kagome was a helluva lot skinnier then you."

"Fu…you…" She breathed on his neck in a labored sort of way, raising the hairs back there. Blood ran down her cheek from the cut on her head as he walked swiftly away, dropping on the exposed skin and sliding beneath his collar.

"You really do smell like Inuyasha." Shippo said, sticking to the shadows as tentacles blindly searched for the prey he had rescued.

"Who the hell is…?" She coughed.

A tentacle lashed out at them and Shippo took off running for the well. He took the stairs five at a time, narrowly making it inside the building before another tentacle smashed the stairs into splinters.

There was an angry roar and Shippo gritted his teeth, one foot on the well as he looked on at the beast outside.

"You didn't…answer…the question…" Izumi said softly.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo glanced at her. "He's a legend where I come from. Your mum never talked about him?"

"My mother…was a fuckin' bitch…" Izumi hissed, burying her face in his shoulder.

Shippo shivered and jumped down the well, disturbed. The Kagome he knew would never have raised her child to be like this.

~*FAKE*IT*~

Izumi wasn't sure, but she swore she was hearing Kiki flirting with the fox as she came into consciousness. Groggy, she couldn't seem to manage to open her eyelids to see if she was right, nor yell at them to knock it off. However, her irritation at being woken up by this trivial social exchange was growing. 

Kiki giggled, making Izumi's teeth grind. "Oh my…! You've had a lot of adventures, Mr. Shippo."

"Well, you know me. I like to travel and be the hero. The usual."

Izumi almost smirked. What a load of bull shit.

"Don't you get hurt?" Izumi heard clothing rustle and imagined Kiki touching his arm.

"Oh, sometimes. I try not to, you know. So, what's your life like? Any…boys?"

"No…" Kiki said shyly.

"Pedophile." Izumi rasped.

Shippo and Kiki whirled around, staring in surprise as Izumi tried to pull herself up. Kiki had abandoned her ridiculous green school girl uniform and was wearing a purple kimo

"Wait! Miss Izumi!" Kiki rushed over. "You're pants are ah…!" Kiki blushed, looking panicked.

Izumi froze, looking down at herself. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE MY CLOTHES?"

Shippo smirked, leaning on the door frame. "I'm not a pedophile if I look at you naked, right?"

She turned her gaze to him and he shuddered in spite of himself. She clutched the blanket in her fist, holding it up to cover herself. "WHERE. ARE. MY. CLOTHES."

"Miss Izumi, please calm down. The local priestess burned your clothes because they were all bloody and torn up." Kiki put a hand on Izumi's bare shoulder.

Izumi smacked her hand away. "What?"

"Your uncle went back and told me to give you that package." Shippo pointed at the bag in the corner of the room. "It's got clothes in it. Stop being such a prissy bitch."

Izumi opened her mouth angrily then closed it, smirking. " 'Stop being such a prissy bitch', eh?" She stood up, only a blanket covering her as she approached him slowly.

Kiki watched wide eyed. "M-miss I-I-Izumi…!"

Shippo's eyes went large as well. There was no way to miss the way the blanket clung to Izumi's hourglass figure. The strawberry blonde in front of him wasn't anything like Kagome.

Izumi shamelessly looked up at him from under dark eyelashes. "Do you…want a bitch, fox boy…?"

Shippo's face colored and he looked away. "Fuck." He muttered under his breath, stomping off.

Izumi laughed heartily at his expense. "You wish you could!" She yelled, putting a hand on her hip.

Kiki frowned. "That's not very nice…"

"Whatever." Izumi's smile faded and she turned to Kiki. "What the hell are you doing here still? Get out so I can get dressed!"

Kiki felt tears come to her eyes and she sniffed, standing up as she twisted the edge of the kimono she wore in her hands. "That's all you can say?" She yelled, tears streaming down her face.

Izumi froze, unsure now. "W-whoa….Don't cry, girl…"

"You were unconscious for days and nobody knew if you were gonna live and we were all so worried…!" Kiki rubbed her eyes on the overly large sleeve.

Izumi hesitated, then touched Kiki's elbow gingerly. "Jesus, I hate it when people cry…C'mon…"

Kiki pushed the hand away. "You're so selfish, you know that? I thought you were gonna die!"

Izumi scowled, her hand clenching into a fist. "Maybe I should've! It'd get me away from your sorry ass!"

Kiki sniffed for a minute, glaring at Izumi, before she ran off. "I hate you!"

Izumi winced, swallowing the lump in her throat. "S'not fair." She muttered and turned, picking up the bag and going to the other room that was closed off by a curtain. "She can't have that face and say that to me…" Izumi opened up the bag, letting the blanket fall. Suddenly, in the light that came through the cracks in the small building she was in, silver scars became more visible all over her body. Most of them were from the fights she got in with the other demons. But the most noticible ones were the one that stretched from her chin down to her right hip Across her flat stomach was scars that wrote out the word 'LIAR', set at a diagonal from her left hip to right under her right breast. She traced the letters gingerly, golden eyes soft. She turned her wrists up and let the light fall on the self mutilation marks that were less noticeable. Her uncle had put a stop to that early on, so there wasn't much. But God, how she wished she had a knife right now…

She pulled out the tank top and jean skirt her uncle had kindly packed, along with the usual underwear. It felt a little weird knowing he'd gone through her underwear drawer but hey, he'd been doing her laundry for thirty years now.

Izumi laced up her combat boots, wincing as she brushed the bruise that had once been her broken leg. Thank God for supernatural accelerated healing. She stood up and pulled the curtain back to see what looked like the most wrinkled and oldest woman she had ever seen. "Whoa." She blinked. Why hadn't she smelt her? All she had smelt was her own scent –

"Are you kidding me?" A male voice came from beside the woman. "You seriously think this is my daughter, Old woman?"

Izumi tensed. It wasn't her scent she had been smelling. It was this guys. What the hell? He smelled exactly like her! He was tall, dressed in red with golden eyes just like hers, silver hair with dog ears that stuck up out of the long locks. He gave her a disdainful look. "Stop joking. She ain't nothing like me."

"Who the hell are you two?" Izumi asked, folding her arms and jutting out a hip.

Behind them, Shippo came in with a snicker. "Yeah. She's nothing like you at all…"

The other man scowled. "Shut up, kid."

The old woman took in a ragged breath, leaning on a staff. She looked positively medieval, missing an eye and all. She squinted at Izumi. "I trust your wounds are healed."

"Great and ready to go back home. Just point the way."

"You can't." Shippo said, leaning against the wall and inspecting his nails.

"Say wut." Izumi growled.

"Look. Woman." The guy with the silver hair scratched the back of his head. "You can't go home because…well, the other chick. Kiki or whatever. She won't go with us unless you come with."

"What? What the hell do you need her for?" Izumi arched a dark eyebrow. "And you. Fox boy. What happened to your seductive powers? Can't you just…" She waved her hand vaguely. "…convince her to follow you to the ends of the earth or whatever?"

"Cute, bitch." Shippo snapped. "Kiki's special, alright? A helluva lot more important then you. She's Kagome's reincarnation. Kagome was the reincarnation of a great priestess named Kikyo who was in charge of what's called the Sacred Jewel."

"The jewel shards that she always carried around…" Izumi said softly in realization.

The old woman nodded. "Remnants of the Sacred Jewel. In her youth, Kagome tried to protect the jewel from another demon and she managed to shatter it with an arrow, successfully scattering pieces throughout this land."

"What _is_ this land?"

"Japan." Shippo shrugged. "It's the past for you guys."

"Aw shit." Izumi sighed, rubbing her forehead. "This is starting to hurt my brain…So Kiki had these jewel shards that should've burned with Kagome?"

The silver haired man's expression darkened. "Yeah, she had them. She's the only one that knows how to locate them all."

"So you guys…" Izumi waved a hand at the three of them. "Want this jewel thing back together. But Kiki won't help you unless _I_ come with?"

"That's pretty much it." Shippo shrugged again. "So? How about it?"

"No." Izumi pushed past them and went outside. She looked around, blatantly surprised by how mundane everything seemed to be. A small village in Japan in the past? This was too good to be true. Then again…her mother had ranted about this from time to time…

"Whoa! Wait up!" The silver haired guy grabbed her shoulder. "What the hell? You can't just walk out like that and refuse!"

"I just did." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe you should reconsider." He said through gritted teeth.

"Whatever. You're not my dad." She stepped around him, walking past him.

He snorted in exasperation. "Oi! Kaede! Do something!"

The old woman shuffled out, reaching into her clothing and pulling out a necklace. "You remember this?" She asked him, smiling crookedly.

"That's evil." Shippo commented. "Better hurry. She's walking off."

Izumi walked past where Kiki was talking to a few villagers without a word. Kiki, however, wasn't letting her get away that easily.

"Miss Izumi! Where are you going? Are you coming with us to go find the jewel shards?" Kiki jogged to keep up with her.

"No." Izumi said shortly. "Go find it on your own."

Kiki looked dismayed. "Where are you going?"

"Home. Good luck." Izumi walked faster.

"Wait! You can't leave me!" Kiki said in a panic.

"Yes I can." Izumi didn't notice the beads appearing around her neck, too busy trying to get away from the human that smelled like her mother.

"Please stop! I need your help!" Kiki pleaded with her desperately, lagging behind. "Mr. Inuyasha, please stop her!"

Izumi turned and glared at the figure casually walking behind them. "Try it. I dare you, old man."

He simply smirked at her and addressed her distressed follower. "Kiki, say the word that should…subjugate this bitch."

Izumi's eyes flashed and she charged him.

He watched her calmly, looking wary but unafraid.

Kiki panicked and yelled, "SIT!"

Izumi felt something yank on her neck and she yelped as her face smashed into the ground, dust from the road pushing itself forcefully into her mouth and nose. She pushed herself up, coughing and spiting. "Holy fuck! What the hell did you do that for?" She glared at Kiki.

Kiki looked genuinely frightened. "I-I didn't mean to…! He said to subjugate you and I…! That's what I thought of…!"

"Dammit!" Izumi stood up and advanced on Kiki menacingly. "You're gonna pay for-!"

"S-sit!" Kiki said again and winced as Izumi smashed into the dirt again.

Inuyasha laughed.

"Goddammit…! Shut up!" Izumi snapped at him. "Why the fuck are you laughing anyway?"

He smirked. "Because watching you eat dirt is actually kind of funny."

"Hey, now." Shippo appeared beside him, looking disdainfully at Izumi. "You shouldn't make fun. You used to be like that once upon a time. Remember how humiliating that was?"

"Yeah. Makes me laugh harder." Inuyasha rubbed his nose. "Where's Myoga?"

Izumi sighed and sat up, brushing herself off.

Kiki offered her hand. "I-I'm sorry Miss Izu-"

Izumi smacked it away and glared at her. "Don't pretend you're my best friend." She said coldly and stood up.

"Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?" Shippo yelled as she walked away from them.

"I'm just going over there! God!" Izumi snapped back at him, marching towards a grove of trees.

"Damn…Kagome was never that pissy…" Inuyasha noted dryly.

"She's your kid too." Shippo pointed out.

"Bull." Inuyasha snorted. "You know that's impossible."

Kiki looked hesitantly at the two men and then back at where Izumi had disappeared. "Um…"

"Go talk to Kaede. She wanted to discuss things with you." Shippo advised.

Kiki nodded and smiled brilliantly at him before running off.

"Someone's got an admirer." Inuyasha smirked.

"Shut up, 'old man'." Shippo glared.

"Master Inuyasha!" Myoga called, hopping up onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "Master Inuyasha, have you met your daughter yet?"

"She ain't my daughter!" Inuyasha said in exasperation.

"How can you be so sure?" Shippo folded his arms. "Kagome could've been pregnant before she left?"

"Why the fuck are we talking about this?" He asked coldly. "Look, just…shove off!" He flicked Myoga off his shoulder and walked off.

Shippo and the flea watched him go, both silent.

"He just went in the same direction as her." Shippo pointed out.

"Master Inuyasha is infamous for his…pouting sessions." Myoga sighed. "Perhaps this is an inheritable trait…?"

Shippo grinned. "As well as denial."


	3. White Houses

**So I should be updating a damn blog about some textbook I read so my teacher can read it and critique my terrible attempt at sarcasm via the written word but…**

**Izumi yelled at me. She's a voice in my head.**

**J/k. You wish I was that crazy.**

**Anyway, so I haven't seen the entire series. If there's a…flaw in my storytelling, would you mind sending me a message? (*mutters* the whole two of you that are actually reading this… speaking of which, thanks guys. ^^) Much appreciated. **

**~Don't own Inuyasha or Fake It by Seether or White Houses by Vanessa Carlton (once again, a song with lyrics that have nothing to do with what's initially written here, but I was listening to it constantly during the writing process)~**

Chapter 3: White Houses

Izumi viewed the setting of the sun from a tree branch, lounging on it like a sofa. She had tried several times to take the enchanted necklace off, each time failing to pull it up past her ears. It was laid casually overtop of her breasts now, cool to the touch. She was starting to relax; starting to calm down and face reality now. There was no possible way she could get back home now. She could sneak away but Shippo already proved to be an expert at showing up in places where she didn't want him. He'd probably catch her and drag her back to eat more dust. As for attacking them all, Kiki would probably 'subjugate' her again and she saw the look in that Inuyasha guy's eyes. He wasn't afraid of her at all. In fact, she wasn't sure he was afraid of anything. He didn't seem to care if she tore him piece to bloody piece. She clenched her hand into a fist. She was sure she could do that, but not if she wanted to.

"So was she really that nasty to you?"

She jerked her head down below her to see that damn Inuyasha guy again. She'd have to pick out the differences between their smells so she could stop him from sneaking up on her. She sighed. "Go away."

"I'm curious. Enlighten me." He said stubbornly.

Izumi paused for a bit. It wasn't worth the fight, she decided and said darkly. "Yeah. Yeah she was."

"What'd she do? Smack you a few times?" He asked dryly.

"I don't know, did you smack her a few times?" Izumi snapped. "Is that why she was busting her ass to get out of this place? Cause you were a dick?"

Inuyasha didn't look at her, his bangs shading over his eyes. "You've got a pretty big mouth."

"Blame it on my father." She shot back. "Oh wait. That's supposed to be you, right?"

"I'm not your damn father!" Inuyasha yelled. He put his arms into his sleeves out of habit, obviously tense.

"Care to explain your reasoning behind that?" Izumi rested her elbow on her knee, leaning her head back. "Cause as far as I can tell, you would be. We smell the same, you and my mother had a thing, and I do believe we're from the same species."

"I don't have to explain jack shit to you." He muttered looking away.

Izumi examined her nails. "Then I guess you won't mind if I call you 'Daddy dearest'." She smirked as she heard him run off. "Oops. Somebody's pissed at me."

~*FAKE*IT*~

Kiki was enjoying herself. There was a momentary worry about her mother and father and what they would do if she didn't arrive home, but it was instantly dispelled when she became entranced with village life. Everyone had a place and purpose. There was no tv, no homework, and the boys were very mature compared to the ones she normally associated herself with at her school. It took her a bit to get used to the fact that this wasn't a dream. It didn't help to have some old woman following her everywhere, rambling on about her duty to humanity and such and such.

However, Kiki's mind kept going back to Izumi and how she must feel. But, being young, her train of thought led to the fact that she probably couldn't go back to her home either. Panicked, she asked Kaede if it was indeed possible to return to her time and visit her family.

"Hmm…" Kaede paused at this. "Kagome, your predecessor, often returned to her home after spending time here. I suppose it would be alright, seeing as Izumi would be with you."

Kiki, satiated now, skipped along happily. It took her three hours to realize that not only had she not seen Izumi, but while Kiki had enjoyed a hearty meal of rice and leeks, Izumi had not eaten a thing. Naturally concerned about her newfound friend and hero, Kiki ventured to ask her caretaker for an extra bowl. "I just think I should go find Izumi." She said shyly.

"I'll come along for the ride." Shippo volunteered.

Inuyasha, who had watched the festivities from a corner as he brooded, looked up. "Watch out. She bites." He got up and went out temperamentally.

"Lord, they're already fighting?" Myoga commented from Shippo's shoulder. He sighed. "This is going to be a very interesting adventure…"

Kiki took the food for Izumi and set out, Shippo at her side. She was silent, choosing to look anywhere but this obviously older man. He had to be so much older then her! Kiki's mother had scolded her about older men. They only wanted one thing. Kiki was convinced it was money, but wasn't quite sure now. What did they use for money here? Her train of thought wandered and she stared absently into space.

"Soo…" Shippo exhaled. "You and Izumi good friends?"

"Oh yes!" Kiki nodded, smiling. But it faltered slightly. "But I'm not quite sure she thinks so…"

Shippo tried hard not to laugh at that. "How'd you guys meet?"

"She saved me from a demon a couple days ago." Kiki said brightly.

"And you're already good friends?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes! I talked to her all the time when I came to visit her while she was unconscious." Kiki and him entered the grove of trees.

Shippo paused. "Wait…you do realize that she couldn't hear you…right?"

Kiki looked at him and paused, blinking. She looked so innocent and uncorruptable in the moonlight. It was almost romantic. "Really? I thought I read somewhere that when people are in comas, they can hear what you say."

"What's a coma?" He gave her a puzzled look.

"Something that's gonna happen to you if you guys don't shut up. I'm trying to sleep here." Izumi growled from the tree above them.

"Ah! Princess, I do believe I found your horse in a tree." Shippo teased.

Kiki, oblivious, said, "Why are you calling her 'princess'? I thought you guys didn't like each other."

Izumi snickered as Shippo gave Kiki an exasperated look. The demoness swung upside down on the branch, folding her arms over her shirt so it didn't lift higher then her belly button. "Kiki, he's secretly in love with me, didn't you know?"

"Would you shut up?" Shippo hissed, and Izumi chuckled evilly again. "Kiki, don't listen to her. She likes to mess with people. Which, I imagine, is what you did to piss off your father so much."

"If Daddy Dearest doesn't like what I say, he shouldn't bother me with trivial questions." Izumi sniffed. "Hey…is that food?" She dropped from the tree branch and snatched the parcel of food away from Kiki.

Kiki gasped. "How did you do that?"

Izumi raised an eyebrow. "How do you think? I'm not human, stupid."

Kiki bit her lip and looked down at the ground. "O-oh."

Izumi hesitated and gave her a cautious look. "I…didn't mean the last part." She said awkwardly. "So…don't cry or anything, alright?" She reached out a hand hesitantly and ruffled Kiki's short hair, withdrawing the appendage quickly.

Shippo bit his lip to stop from smiling. _Like father like daughter…_

Izumi smiled brightly. "Alright! Food! I'm frickin starving!" She started eating hurriedly. "So…what's the plans, fox bastard?"

Shippo scowled. "For what, bitch?"

"For the recovery of the Shinanigan jewel or whatever." Izumi waved her hand passively.

"Shikon." Shippo and Kiki corrected her.

Izumi swallowed and glared at them balefully. "What. Ever. Speak." She gestured at Shippo.

He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, we're going to gather some others to our crew and head wherever Miss Kiki feels the jewel shards."

"Sounds great!" Kiki smiled.

"Sounds like a half ass plan." Izumi said snidely. "Who thought this up? Daddy Dearest?"

Shippo just stared at her.

Izumi paused, self conscious. "What?" She asked darkly.

"What the hell happened to you that you became the devil?" He asked incredulously.

Kiki watched the momentary sadness cross over her hero's face and she frowned. "Mr. Shippo, that wasn't very nice!"

Izumi pushed her hair out of her face, looking to her right. "Whatever. It's cool, Kiki."

"But-!" Kiki looked genuinely dismayed.

"I said it was okay!" Izumi snapped.

There was an awkward silence that presented itself much like an outbreak of acne before the big dance; cliché and unavoidable, but also painful.

"Kiki, could I talk to fox ba - Shippo…alone?" Izumi rubbed her forehead in irritation.

Kiki glanced at the two of them. "Huh?" The first thing that popped into her mind, unfortunately, was jealousy. Why did Izumi get to talk to the nice Mr. Shippo alone and Kiki couldn't stay? But she nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Miss Kiki." Shippo smiled at her and it lit up her whole world.

She offered him a great smile back and skipped off, humming.

Izumi shook her head. "You heartless beast. She's completely smitten with you."

"I tend to have that effect on everyone except for certain women with dog-like tendencies." He replied dryly. "So what's got your fur all ruffled?"

Normally, Izumi would retort with something along the lines of insulting the fact he was a fox demon, but she staid silent. This disturbed him. He'd only known her for a few days, but he'd come to expect the witty retorts and angry cynical behavior out of her.

"I want to know…" She took a deep breath, like a diver making the plunge. "I want to know if you really think that…that Inuyasha guy is my dad." She looked up at him and it shocked him again to see her gold eyes were completely sincere and without sarcasm. It was a nicer side to her. She almost seemed vulnerable and, well, feminine. It was unfair. Here they were, in a grove away from people, talking in the moonlight.

Shippo put his hands in his sleeves, a habit he had picked up from Inuyasha unconsciously. He looked up at the moon before replying, "Yeah. Yeah I do."

"He doesn't think it's possible." She pointed out. Not judgmentally. Just…stating the facts. She was almost more mature then Inuyasha had ever been when he and Shippo had first met.

"That's because there were some…complications with his and Kagome's relationship." Shippo said hesitantly. "I really think you should be asking him this."

"Right." She snorted. "And you really think he'd tell me?" She straightened up, brushing bark off her clothes.

Momentarily distracted with her curves, it took him a bit to answer. "Yeah, I guess you're right." How could someone be so attractive and so brutally evil at the same time? "Well, I don't know too much…"

"Tell me anyway." She asked, folding her arms and jutting out a hip. "I want to know."

Shippo hesitated. He really didn't think it was fair to talk about Inuyasha like this behind his back. It wasn't his place. "Didn't your mother tell you anything?" He asked.

Izumi's eyes momentarily flashed with intense anger, but calmed quickly. "Kagome told me I wasn't born. She said I erupted out of hell; a devil to constantly plague her." She said emotionlessly.

Shippo bit his lip, his earlier comment coming back to bite him on the ass. "I'm…sorry…" He said softly, unsure of anything else to say. It was so odd hearing someone talk about Kagome like that; like she was the most hated person in the world. "Well, as far as I know, Kagome and Inuyasha were…married, in a sort."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"There was no official paper or anything." Shippo shrugged. "They were just together, you know? What do they call it where you come from…Kagome told me one time…" He tapped his foot as he tried to remember. "Common law marriage. That's it. Anyway, it was all going good until…" He paused. He knew this was definitely the deep end. The next part of their past was something he wouldn't share no matter how much she asked, or threatened him.

"Until…?" She prodded.

He shook his head. "Look, I really can't talk about this." He turned his back on her. "Go ask him yourself. If he's really your dad, he'll tell you."

Izumi's hands clenched into fists and it took all her self control not to chuck a tree at the retreating back of the fox demon. She let out an aggravated sigh. "I already knew all that shit, you dope." She muttered and followed after him. "Oi! Wait up!"

He glanced behind him, pausing. "What?"

"I wanna walk with you." She said, catching up to him.

His eyebrows rose.

She blushed and punched his shoulder lightly. "Don't be an ass…I just don't like sleeping in trees and I figured you could point out a nice soft piece of ground for me to settle on."

"How about my bed?" He asked, smirking. She could take a joke, right?

She decked him and stomped off.

"Shit!" He yelled as his nose started to bleed. "Izumi! Goddammit, wait!"

"Fox bastard!" She yelled back, tracking Kiki's scent. She'd sleep next to the goddamn mother reincarnation over him. That was how much she hated his guts.

~*FAKE*IT*~

Inuyasha looked up as Shippo approached him early that morning. "Whoa. What the hell happened to your nose?"

"The Bitchy Ice Queen broke it." Shippo muttered, thoroughly pissed. He had sloppily bandaged it last night, but it was obviously crooked. "I tried to set it straight, but I couldn't see because it hurt so damn much…!"

The silver haired half demon allowed himself a smirk. "Didja hit on her?"

Shippo paused, looking down at the ground and absently turning over a rock with his foot.

"I'd say it serves you right." Inuyasha said heartlessly.

"It was a joke for Chrissakes!" Shippo said in exasperation.

"It apparently was a bad one."

"You're no help at all." Shippo glared.

"Why should I be?"

"It's your damn daughter!"

"For the last time, she is not MINE!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Oh good. I'd hate to be anybody's."

Both men looked up to see Izumi yawning and stretching, a sleepy Kiki trailing behind her. A bag was firmly attached to Izumi's back and her hair a bit messed up from sleeping. However, her tank top rose and showed off her stomach.

"Whoa. Scarred much?" Shippo pointed out.

Izumi yanked down her tank top and gave him a look that almost looked like…fear. It rattled him to see her, once again, vulnerable. "We ready to go?" She asked abruptly.

"Been waiting for you forever, 'Ice Queen'." Inuyasha replied.

"Clever." She said acidly, but didn't tack her nickname for him on the end. Instead she yanked Kiki in front of her. "Wake up, you. You're my buffer so I don't kill these idiots for talking to me."

"Huh?" Kiki asked wearily, stumbling into a walk as they started forward. "Sorry…Miss Kaede just kept talking and talking last night…" She yawned. "Oh. That's right." She turned to Izumi, smiling. "I was going to ask you something, if that's alright."

Izumi, hands grasping the straps of the bag, raised an eyebrow. "It's not."

Kiki pouted. "But-!"

"It's not!" Izumi walked faster past them, taking the lead.

Shippo and Inuyasha watched the exchange silently.

Finally Shippo leaned over and muttered, "Still think she's not yours?"

Inuyasha smacked his head violently.

Shippo rubbed his head, standing bent over as he nursed his wounded head.

Kiki rushed over. "Oh no! Are you okay Mr. Shippo?"

He straightened up, glanced at Inuyasha and Izumi, and laughed. Just like old times. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm great."


	4. Pretty Handsome Awkward

**My opening statements seem to be getting longer. **

**I've always wanted to use this song in a fanfic. And now I finally get to. :D**

**~Don't own Inuyasha or Fake It by Seether or Pretty Handsome Awkward by The Used~**

Chapter 4: Pretty Handsome Awkward

"I'm telling you, you'd win in a fight." Shippo told Kiki as the sun fell behind the trees. "All you have to do is say 'sit' and she's a goner."

"I don't think that'd be very nice…" Kiki said, her bottom lip sticking out cutely. "Isn't that cheating?"

"What?" Shippo asked airily.

"To say 'sit'."

"GAH!" There was a smash as Izumi almost made a crater several feet ahead of them.

Shippo started to laugh as Izumi turned around, on her hands and knees.

"Dammit fox bastard! You did that on purpose!" She yelled.

"You're right." He smirked. "I did and I enjoyed it."

Izumi sighed, feeling the tiny rocks digging into her knees. She was starting to feel bruises formulate on her hips and sternum from dropping so many times. It never ceased to amaze her how amusing her smashing into the ground seemed to Shippo.

"Here." Inuyasha offered his hand. "Shippo, knock it off."

Izumi glared at him balefully for a bit.

"It's just a hand. I'm not gonna kill you or anything." He said, eyebrows furrowing.

Izumi looked away and took his hand, allowing him to help her up.

"You're welcome." He said sarcastically.

"Yeah, whatever." Izumi brushed herself off irritably.

Inuyasha paused. She seemed terribly tense right now. More so then usual. He glanced around, suddenly focusing on his hearing and sense of smell. Maybe there was something in the area…

There was a shriek so close it made him jump.

"Spider!" Kiki fled to behind Shippo, pointing at a particular large specimen sitting on the ground in front of her. "Oh my God, get it away!"

Shippo kneeled down, staring at it curiously. "My God, it's huge."

The spider itself reared back on it's back legs, raising it's forearms threateningly.

"And hostile." Inuyasha said grimly.

"Do you think…?" He posed an unspoken question, seeming hesitant to speak it aloud. He glanced at Kiki.

"What?" Kiki asked.

However, Inuyasha interpreted the look and nodded. "Yeah. It's them." There was no way he was going to say it out loud and scare Kiki brainless. He didn't need her whining as they dragged her along behind them.

There were Spider Heads in the area.

Shippo shuddered. The last time they had encountered these creatures had been the night of a new moon and Inuyasha had been unable to help until morning. The memory of the fear of trying to hold out til morning still made Shippo flinch. He glanced over at Izumi. At least with a full demon they'd have more of a chance –

He paused. "Izumi, are you alright?"

Izumi's eyes were glued to the spider. She sat on the ground, frozen in absolute fear as she trembled, her skin pale and clammy.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Inuyasha groaned. "You're afraid of spiders?" He asked, infuriated.

Izumi ignored him, still staring at the object of her absolute fear.

"Pathetic!" Inuyasha snapped. "And you call yourself a demon?"

That snapped her out of it. "I'm not a pure bred!" She sounded scared and again, Shippo was reminded that she did indeed have vulnerabilities. She hugged herself desperately.

"Doesn't make a damn difference! Get over it!" Inuyasha grabbed the spider before it reached the safety of the brush. "It's only a goddamn spider!" He held it in front of her. It pissed him off that she was all talk. She had to be tougher then this if she was going to survive. Any demon that got close enough could smell the slight trace of human in her blood.

Izumi moved backwards, baring her teeth at him.

Shippo looked around nervously, keeping a hand on Kiki's arm. He could hear rustling from far off on either side of the road and it was getting dark fast. A full moon had already risen in the sky, fat and illuminating.

"Get over it, and kill it!" Inuyasha jerked it towards her.

Izumi watched it writhe, dangling from his hand. She shuddered in horror. "L-leave me alone…!" She yelled. When he didn't oblige, she covered her eyes and shook her head violently, like a kid. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Inuyasha flinched back as something furry erupted out of Izumi's clothing, making him drop the spider. His hand fumbled around his waist instinctively for Tetsusaiga, growling as he remembered what had happened to his sword. _Dammit, why did I have to hide it after Kagome left…?_

Kiki gasped as Inuyasha found himself being stared down by a large angry dog white dog, growling at him with saliva dripping from its humongous jaws.

"That's a big puppy." Shippo said, awed.

Inuyasha stared into large amber eyes, standing his ground. "Do you do this when you get pissed?"

Izumi put her head down, her growling cut off as her tail drifted down.

"No?" Shippo asked, standing.

Kiki gasped and clutched the back of his shirt, hiding behind him in fear.

"This is going to be fun. It doesn't look like she can talk." Shippo stood beside Inuyasha. "No more witty remarks, eh Inuyasha?"

His friend didn't answer, suddenly looking up at the moon. "Myoga."

The flea hopped up on his master's shoulder. "Yes Master Inuyasha?"

"Is it possible that the same thing that happens to me on a new moon could happen to…oh, say a demon with human blood?" He shrugged.

Izumi's head lifted up and her tail wagged a bit.

"I'd say that's a yes." Shippo pointed out.

"It seems that Miss Izumi turns into a large dog on nights of the full moon." Myoga mused.

"Wow. That must ruin your night life." Shippo smirked.

Izumi smashed her head into his stomach and tossed her head, sending him screaming into a tree.

Kiki shrieked and stepped back, her hands covering her mouth as she stared at Izumi.

Izumi snorted at her and turned around, her bushy tail almost knocking Kiki over.

Inuyasha looked around. "We need to go. Something's coming." He started jogging. "Get up, Shippo!"

Shippo groaned and brushed the broken branches off him, rubbing the back of his head. "Stupid…dog…" He grumbled, getting up and catching up to them.

"W-wait!" Kiki stumbled, trying to follow.

Izumi paused, turning her head back to look at her. She let out a whining bark.

"Then why don't you pick her up and carry her instead of whining about how slow she is!" Inuyasha snapped.

Izumi growled at him before trotting back to Kiki.

Kiki hesitated as Izumi approached and stretched out a shaky hand. "I-Izumi…?"

Izumi laid her belly on the ground, putting her head between her paws and staring at her.

Kiki ran her eyes over Izumi's white body, noting the triangular ears pointed in her direction and the animalistic beauty of Izumi right now. "Wow…" She breathed, running a hand over Izumi's forehead. "You're amazing."

Izumi snorted at her, blowing Kiki's hair back.

Kiki giggled and then went to the side of her.

Izumi lifted her head and let out another whining bark.

"I'm grabbing your clothes!" Kiki replied, picking said articles out of the dirt. "They're a bit torn, but okay." She held them up for Izumi to inspect.

Izumi growled and put her head back down.

Kiki cautiously climbed up between Izumi's shoulder blades, delighted to find the necklace that Kaede had trapped the demoness with enlarged and still there. She grasped onto the beads, her other hand keeping a hold on Izumi's clothes.

Izumi got up quickly, almost throwing Kiki off.

Kiki squealed as she started to slide off.

Izumi turned her head and pushed Kiki back up with her nose. She growled again.

"Hold on. Okay. I got it." Kiki nodded.

Izumi's head snapped back to where they had been and Kiki watched the hair on the back of her neck rise in aggravation. Izumi let out another bark and turned tail, running towards Inuyasha and Shippo.

Kiki cried out and pressed herself more into Izumi's fur, holding on for dear life.

Shippo was the first to look back, seeing the white fleeing Izumi followed by several things with spindly legs following from the brush. "Spider Heads!" He yelled, pointing.

Inuyasha turned, his eyes widening. They were all over the place. There wasn't a single piece of the road viewable from here. It was all covered in Spider Heads. There was no way they could stay and fight. "Grab onto Izumi!"

"What?" Shippo gave him an odd look as Izumi zoomed past him.

Inuyasha grabbed the beads around Izumi's neck and swung himself up behind Kiki, crouching down.

She gasped and turned.

"Hi." He raised an eyebrow.

Izumi growled at him, still running.

"Oh shut up!" He snapped. "Come on, Shippo!"

"Finally you choose to escape an unnecessary fight, Master Inuyasha." Myoga said sagely from Izumi's back. "I congratulate you on your decision!"

"Don't make me change my mind!" Inuyasha snapped.

Izumi yelped and stumbled, almost throwing Inuyasha off.

"Shi-!" He glanced behind him to see Shippo holding on to her tail. "Glad you could join us, dumbass!"

"Where are we going?" Shippo climbed up onto Izumi's hind quarters. He looked behind them at the writhing mess of Spider Heads, shuddering as they hissed at him, pincers clicking hungrily. You could hear it everywhere. They had to yell to be heard over the noise.

Inuyasha pointed to a cliff face. "There's a temple up there! We should be able to hold them all off from inside!"

Shippo shuddered. His childhood was happening all over again. At least this time he'd actually be able to help fight.

Inuyasha leaned over Kiki, causing the young girl to flatten herself against Izumi's neck. "Izumi! Turn left!"

Kiki blushed, burying her face in Izumi's fur. It smelled like cherry blossoms. It was a bit musty because of the dog smell that accompanied it, but it was good and comforting, oddly enough.

Izumi snorted and did as she was told. She slowed down to a lope and then a walk, ears swiveling about.

Shippo looked up, noticing the lack of pursuers. Maybe they had lost them.

Inuyasha tapped Kiki's shoulder. "I need to get closer to her ears so I can give her directions without having to yell it for the world to hear." He said shortly.

Izumi slowed to a stop to allow Kiki to switch places with Inuyasha.

Kiki blushed as she brushed past him and sat just in front of Shippo.

"How you doing?" He asked, smiling.

"Good." She replied, smiling. Shippo was so nice to her. How could Izumi hate him so much?

Izumi growled as Inuyasha sat cross legged between her shoulder blades, shaking her head as if trying to toss him off.

He jumped to his feet to keep balance and bared his teeth at her. He viciously grabbed her large ear and yanked it back towards him. He dug his claws into the sensitive skin there until she yelped. "You really want to throw attitude with me?" He snarled. "The only reason I haven't beat the livin' _hell_ outta you is cause you're Kagome's kid!"

Shippo watched, amazed, as they both stared each other down angrily, neither giving an inch. He barely noticed when Kiki moved closer to him in uneasiness. He'd never seen Inuyasha this angry with anyone in such a long time. It was almost a pleasant change to the passive brooding Inuyasha he had known for these past forty years.

Finally Izumi lowered the one ear that she had control over and flattened to the back of her head, her tail moving just barely between her legs. It was defiant consent, but consent to behave nonetheless.

Inuyasha was alpha dog. Literally.

He released his grip on her ear and settled back between her shoulder blades. "There's a road up here you want to take. It'll take us up the cliff side."

Izumi huffed and walked on towards the cliff.

~*FAKE*IT*~

The temple was abandoned, unfortunately, but Shippo comforted himself in realizing that it'd be easier to use wood and furniture to block off the exits. He helped Kiki off Izumi, putting his hands on her slim hips. "You need to eat more." He teased. "How do people in your time get so skinny?"

Kiki blushed, hands on his shoulders. "I don't know…" She looked away as he set her on the ground.

He was about to comment about how pretty she looked in purple when he suddenly found his mouth full of Izumi's tail.

Izumi let out a couple of short barks that sounded like laughter, her tongue sticking out as she panted and grinned at them.

Shippo pushed her tail away irritably, spitting out white fur. "Not funny." He wiped his mouth, his hold on Kiki gone.

Kiki looked back at Izumi. Why was Izumi acting like that? Like she never wanted to let Kiki and Shippo have a moment alone. Maybe because Izumi liked Shippo. Struck with this sudden (albeit misguided) revelation, Kiki put a hand on her cheek, staring at Izumi wide eyed. That must be why Izumi was so proactive about keeping Shippo away!

Izumi noticed Kiki's stare and whined lowly, hitting her gently with her tail. She turned away and followed Inuyasha into the building.

Kiki turned to Shippo, still wide eyed. She blurted out, "Shippo, do you like Izumi?"

Shippo took a step back, surprised. "Uh…" He glanced over to see Izumi had disappeared. Inuyasha, however, was standing at the entrance and Shippo could tell he was listening. How incredibly awkward.

Kiki took a step forward. "You can tell me! I won't tell her, I swear!"

"Shhh…!" Shippo held up his hands, taking another step back. He glanced at Inuyasha. There was no telling what the guy might do to him if he felt any…fatherly affection towards the young woman. At the wrong moment, a memory popped into his head of him and Kagome talking.

"_It would be great! You could marry our daughter!" Kagome smiled at him as she patted her swollen belly._

"_Yeah!" Shippo had agreed eagerly. "And then we'll really be family!"_

The memory was almost sad to think about, but he brushed it off. It was embarrassing to think that after he'd agreed to such an idea, the exact opportunity had shown up right in front of him.

In fact, she was the large dog walking towards them.

"Oh hey Izumi!" Shippo said, relieved. He walked up to her. "How's it going?"

She let out another whining bark, completely ignoring him as she pranced around in front of the temple.

"She can't fit in the temple…" Kiki said in horror. "She can't until morning!"

Izumi lay down on the grass outside, her tail slowly wagging.

"I'll stay out here with her, then." Shippo volunteered. No way he wanted to be left alone with Kiki and her awkward questions.

"No. I will." Inuyasha put his hands in his sleeves. "Get inside and barricade the entrance. We'll figure something out for Izumi when the sun rises."

Shippo frowned. "But what if the Spider Heads come?"

"I'll make it up as I go, now get inside!" Inuyasha said impatiently.

They both did as they were told, walking past the large dog and the half demon.

Kiki paused in front of Izumi. "Here's your clothes." She set them down in front of her. "The tank top's a little ripped though…"

Izumi nudged Kiki towards the door and put her head down between her paws.

Inuyasha crouched down next to the doorway, staring out at the road as he heard the muted sounds of things being pushed across the floor to block the entrance to the room Shippo and Kiki had decided to lock themselves into. "So Kagome never told you…anything?" He asked softly.

Izumi snorted, shaking her head.

"I guess that's a no." He smiled a little. Then he sighed. "I don't think you're my daughter because the only child Kagome and I ever had died."

Izumi's ears focused on him. She stared at him intently, waiting for him to continue.

"I think that's why she left. She just couldn't handle the fact that there'd never be…well, a happy family." He shrugged.

The wind lazily shifted the grass in front of them, giving the impression that it was the calm before the storm.

"She wasn't the same after that." Inuyasha continued. "She seemed…angrier." He shrugged.

Another silence.

"You're easier to talk to when you're not telling everybody what a jackass they are every other word." He smirked as Izumi growled at him. His smirk faded quickly as he heard something in the distance.

Izumi whined, her ears flat against her skull.

"They're coming." He stood up. "We'll fight them. We've got no other choice."

Izumi rose to a standing position and looked at the sky. She whined at Inuyasha again.

"Whine, whine, whine! That's all you do!" He yelled at her, putting his hands in his sleeves. "Don't be obnoxious. They can't hurt you unless you let them. They don't even really look like spiders."

Izumi's flanks trembled as she stared into the darkness, wide eyed.

Inuyasha glanced at her and rolled his eyes. He walked over and patted her front leg. "You'll be alright, stupid. Just don't let them get to you." He wasn't the best at comfort and, quite frankly, he was uncomfortable giving it. But he felt over protective of Izumi, though she got on his nerves almost 24/7 now.

The first Spider Heads that attacked were only a few and Izumi managed to grab one's head in her jaws and tear it to pieces.

Inuyasha gave her a thumbs up, his usual scowl on his face.

She grinned at him, tongue lolling outside her bloody bottom jaw.

Then they came by the multitudes, crawling all over the place. It was like the apocalypse. They almost blocked out the sky.

"Why…the hell…are there…so many?" Inuyasha grunted, accenting each pause by killing another demon.

Izumi yelped loudly and kicked off a Spider Head that had bitten her. She barked loudly as several more jumped where the last one had been shaken off.

"Shit!" Inuyasha clawed his way through the writhing mass as light started to pour across the temple grounds. Daylight already.

By the time he had pushed his way through, Izumi was limping, breathing in raggedly as blood gushed from her mouth and wounds. He wasn't sure if it was all from her or the Spider Heads. "It's daylight! Get in front of the building!" He yelled, pointing upwards. Any minute now, she'd turn back into her more humanoid form and be even more vulnerable. He paused, noticing the way the spider heads started to retreat as the sun reached the courtyard. They were going to pull back for now, but by nightfall, they'd return. And he would bet his place in hell that they weren't going to let them take one step off the temple grounds to escape.

Izumi limped over to the front of the temple and laid down, breathing in heavily.

Inuyasha took off his jacket. "Here. Wear this until you can get some clothes on." He said off handedly, more concerned with the retreating Spider Heads. A few looked like they wanted to chance it. He didn't look back, but heard what sounded like flesh being carved out (or _filling_ out) behind him.

Izumi grabbed his jacket and put it over her, grateful that it covered down to her thighs. She stumbled in and yelled, "Kiki!" She coughed painfully. "Where the hell are…my clothes?" She breathed in shallowly, breaking out into a cold sweat as she leaned on the wall. Something wasn't right. Her thigh where she had been bitten burned. She put a hand over the would and drew it back to see it coated in what looked like blood and purple saliva. "Damn…poison…" She sighed.

There was a sound like heavy objects moving across the floor and Kiki rushed down the hall, carrying Izumi's clothes. "Izumi!" She gasped. "You're hurt!"

Izumi growled weakly in response and reached out for her clothes.

Kiki gave them to her and promptly turned around, averting her gaze. "Mr. Shippo, don't come any further!" She warned Shippo, who was clear down the hall.

Izumi dressed herself painfully, becoming weaker with every second. "Done." She said weakly.

Inuyasha walked in. "Well I guess we're stuck here – " He froze, staring at Izumi's stomach. "What the fuck…?" He whispered.

Izumi's tank top had the midriff torn off during her impromptu transformation, exposing the scars on her stomach. 'LIAR' shown red on her pale skin, making her feel exposed. She weakly tried to cover it. "It's nothing…" She pitched forward, fading out into black.


	5. The Widow

**Sooo…how's everyone doing? Great? Good, good…. See me? I'm on… *counts* eight cans of coke now, two danishes, a caramel apple, and gushers. That's fun. And my shoulders are killing me.**

**APPRECIATE MY GENIUS, DAMMIT!**

**Thank you so much for the favs! 3**

**~Don't own Inuyasha or Fake It by Seether or The Widow by The Mars Volta~**

Chapter 5: The Widow

When Izumi woke up, she could hear rustling outside and the squeaking of boards trying to hold back something. There was irritated hissing and the sound of someone sobbing incoherently. She felt so weak and tired. She almost didn't want to open her eyes. They fluttered open anyway and she found herself looking up into Kiki's face. "…Kiki…?" She asked, sounding confused. "Wha…? …are you crying…?"

Kiki rubbed her eyes. "C-can't you hear it…?" She asked.

Izumi's fuzzy vision came clearer and she noticed Shippo sitting next to Kiki, an arm around her shoulder. "…Spider Heads…" She pushed herself up on her elbows, one hand reaching up and putting a palm to her head. "Where's Inuyasha…?"

"Here." Came a voice from the corner of the room. He was sitting in the shadows, his gold eyes staring at her from its recesses.

She looked at him, trying to get her thoughts together. Why were they so scattered? "What happened?"

"Myoga sucked the poison out of your system. It still took you a while to recover." Shippo replied, pointing to the overly large flea sleeping on the other side of him. "He's been out almost as long as you have.

A loud bang made all of them jump.

"The Spider Heads just barely started to attack again." Inuyasha said darkly. "We spent the entire day trying to reinforce this piece of shit."

Izumi rubbed her arms, then blinked, realizing she still had his red jacket. "Did you…want your jacket back?" She asked, making a move to take it off.

He shook his head and turned his gaze away from her.

Izumi frowned, scratching her knee. "Kiki, you should get some sleep." She said firmly, seeing the young girl weeping into Shippo's shoulder. "Really, we'll be fine. I'm awake now, right? I'll kick their asses." She gave the younger girl a weak smile and thumbs up.

Kiki rubbed her eyes and offered a smile to her hero. "O-okay." She nodded. She stood up and settled next to a box, away from the walls.

The three supernatural beings sat in silence until they could all hear Kiki's slow steady breathing paired with the banging and scratching of their attackers.

"This is hell." Shippo groaned, rubbing his eyes. He hadn't gotten any sleep in over twenty four hours.

Izumi rubbed her arms again. "I have some questions." She told Inuyasha. "And I'm pretty sure Shippo already knows the answers so don't give me that 'I don't want to tell you while he's around' crap."

"Me first." Inuyasha leaned forward. "What the hell is on your stomach?"

Izumi blanched and bunched his coat over it. "None of your business."

"Just tell me!" He shouted.

"No! You're not my father!" Izumi yelled back.

"Hmm…" Kiki moaned and rolled over in her sleep.

Izumi refused to look into his burning gaze. "…You're not." She said stubbornly to the floor.

"Did it ever occur to anyone that Kagome _might_ have been pregnant before she left?" Shippo snapped.

Inuyasha sighed in aggravation. "I already told you, Shippo, that's not – " He paused and looked at the fox demon curiously. "…You know something."

Shippo hesitated and looked at the ground. "I noticed something before she took off, actually…"

"What?" Izumi asked, turning towards him.

Shippo stared at the ground as he spoke. "I didn't want to tell you, Inuyasha…you just didn't seem like you could handle it so I didn't…" He took a deep breath. "Kagome actually was pregnant before she left. She just didn't tell anyone." He looked up cautiously at Inuyasha, then Izumi. "Izumi's yours, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stared at him, unable to formulate words.

Izumi swallowed, looking at the ground. Dear God, she had a father. An actual father.

The banging grew more intense and they all jumped up, surveying their little shack with concern.

Izumi stumbled, still weak from the poison, and started to fall.

"Whoa!" Shippo grabbed her waist and held her up, another hand latching around her wrist. "Careful, you're still not feeling well.

Izumi glanced up at him in surprise and Shippo was astonished to see an almost innocent shock in her eyes. It was different on her face. Not like Kiki's ever naïve expressions, but more…sincere.

She blushed and ducked her head, pushing him away. "Stop trying to cop a feel, jerk." She muttered. She sat back down cross-legged, looking up at Inuyasha. "Well? What now?"

Her newfound father gave her an incredulous look. "You just found out I'm your dad, and that's all you can say?"

"Well shit, dad! Would you like a hug?" She yelled.

"No, but I'd love to kick your ass!" He yelled back.

"SHUT. UP." Shippo snarled in a feral way.

Both stared at him in surprise, the banging and creaking noises filling the silence along with Kiki's soft snores.

"Whatever." Izumi snorted. "What're we gonna do about them?" She jerked her thumb at one of the walls. "I'm not willing to go out there again with just the two of us and get my ass handed to me again." The corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile. "Though it was a kick ass Daddy/Daughter date."

Inuyasha smirked.

"Aren't you stronger in this form?" Shippo asked.

Izumi hesitated. "Technically, yes. It's easier to fight, if that's what you mean. The giant dog thing's only great for running away mostly. That's what I was trying to tell you when I started whining at you." She pointed a finger at Inuyasha. "Couldn't you understand me?"

"I haven't talked to dogs in a while." He said sarcastically. "I got the word 'spider' mixed up with 'I'm a wimp'."

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I can at least do more damage like this. But it's still a matter of numbers."

Inuyasha put his hands in his sleeves. "Well, we could always escape during the day. They're less proactive then."

"I wonder why?" Shippo asked.

"Spiders like dark shadowy corners that provide a lot of food. If it's tough to get at and not in an ideal habitat, they'll forgo it to find something more suitable." Izumi explained. "Not to mention it takes a lot of energy to keep this shit up all night." She banged on the wall next to her and something hissed in reply. "They need another food source that comes easily and gives energy."

"It can't be too close seeing as there's so many of them." Inuyasha commented.

"So the farther they go for food…" Shippo mused. "…The more of a chance we can escape before they catch us."

"But which way would we escape?" Izumi pointed out. "The road is obviously unsafe and we're on a cliff. We're pretty much cornered dogs." She paused, and then added. "And a bastard fox."

"I'm going to ignore that for now." Shippo said darkly. "But she's right, Inuyasha. There's no where to run if we do choose to run. But if we stay and fight, we'll all die or get seriously injured. And if we stay here and try to outlast them, we'll die of starvation and dehydration."

"God, did you have to mention water?" Izumi asked. "I need a drink like no other…"

"That's it." Inuyasha snapped his fingers.

"What is?" Shippo looked up at him.

"There's a river underneath the rock face, but it's a little farther out because of the road that runs by it. If we could land in the water, we could get away." Inuyasha pointed out.

"We'd have to jump at an angle that I don't think anyone but the three of us could make, and that's just barely." Shippo pointed out. "Not to mention if one of us had the added weight of Kiki, it'd throw off the angle and we'd come short and fall to our deaths. Even Myoga's weight could mess up the calculations."

Izumi bit her thumb. "I have a solution. But it's a risky one."

"Let's hear it." Shippo gestured for her to continue.

"I can…shape shift. Is that the right word?" She waved her hand dismissively. "Shape shift into my dog form if I ever wanted to. It's like unclenching a muscle, however, that's been wound up tight for so long it takes more energy to keep it relaxed then it does to tense it. Does that make sense?"

"Kind of." Shippo admitted.

"So I can resort back to that shape if I need to, but I can't keep it for more then a minute or so." Izumi started to draw on the dirt floor. "Now, what we can do is get at a distance so I can do a running leap and I'll transform. Once I do, everyone needs to immediately get on my back. Since I'm so large, my back legs will have more power then I would normally, so I can clear it with all of us on board."

Shippo nodded. "I like it."

Inuyasha frowned. "What about hitting the water? If you're in that form when you make contact, you'll break something."

"Worried, father of mine?" Her tone was slightly mocking. "It's cool. I'll just change back mid air."

"You can't." Shippo shook his head. "If you do, the trajectory will be all wrong and we'll fall short of the river."

Inuyasha looked grim. "We'll just have to think of something else-"

"No." Izumi cut him off. "I can do it. I don't care about a few broken bones. It's better then dying here." She said heatedly.

"Yeah? And what if your rib cage collapses and crushes your lungs? What then?" Inuyasha argued.

"At least I died doing something instead of sitting on my ass waiting for the Spider Heads to nicely let us continue down the goddamn yellow brick road!" Izumi hissed. "I'm doing it, whether you like it or not!"

He growled at her, "You're lucky I don't want your whiny friend to wake up and bawl for the rest of the night." He turned away and settled back in his corner. "Wake me up when it's morning." He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh.

Izumi relaxed, sighing. "Stubborn ass."

"Go to sleep, idiot kid."

"Shut the hell up, old man!" She hissed. She looked up and noticed Shippo watching her, amused. "What?" She muttered.

"Nothing." He shook his head and chuckled, putting his hands behind his head and settling on the other side of the box that Kiki was laying next to. He faced the opposite wall, letting out a sigh.

Izumi scratched out her drawing in the dirt, then looked back up from Inuyasha to Shippo. Cautiously, she moved over next to him. Crouched beside him, she gave him a scrutinizing look.

He opened one eye lazily. "Yes?"

She looked away, blushing as she scowled. "I wanna know what you were laughing at."

He sat up and leaned forward, startling her with how close he was. She could feel his breathing on her cheek and her eyelashes fluttered softly as her eyelids closed half way, almost like she was unwilling to look at him. His mouth was so close to hers; so close she could almost taste it. Is this how he romanced Kiki? By getting up in her face and seducing her while acting like a good guy?

Izumi didn't buy it. She glared at him, scowling to stop her lips from trembling. "You got a lot of nerve…" She growled softly.

"You wanna know what I was laughing at?" He asked, his voice husky.

Izumi didn't answer for a bit. "What." She asked finally, staring him down.

He smirked and drew closer, his lips just hovering over hers. He whispered, "I was thinking about how awful you'd be in bed."

Izumi's eyes flashed. "Oh?" She said dangerously.

Shippo pulled back a bit, smirking. He was expecting to get hit any time now.

Instead, Izumi grabbed the back of his head and smashed her lips into his, slipping her tongue in between his teeth.

He kissed back, so surprised at her aggressive passion that his eyes squeezed themselves shut.

She drew back slowly, a string of saliva sill connecting their mouths as her grip on the back of his head softened. She smirked and licked her lips, letting her fingers wander down his neck. "How _awful_ was that?" She mocked, her hand sliding over his shoulder and down his chest. "Did it make you…_awfully_ warm…?"

He turned his head away, feeling his face heat up. "Fuck." He muttered and took her hand away from his chest. He didn't want to push her away that was for sure. In fact, he still held onto her wrist. But she was just proving a point. It didn't mean anything to the heartless Ice Bitch.

Izumi suddenly snatched her hand out of his grip and turned away. "That's what I thought." She said, but the mocking was half hearted.

Shippo looked up at her but she refused to look him in the eye, moving back to her original position somewhere close to the center of the room. He watched her lay on the ground, putting her arm underneath her head and curling up in a ball. What had happened to her that she was so afraid of getting close to anyone?

~*FAKE*IT*~

An hour later, Izumi heard the soft snores of Shippo join that of Kiki's and Myoga's. However, she could still hear Inuyasha breathing normally. He was still awake. The banging and hissing had stopped, leaving blessed silence in its wake. She shifted, trying to get in a comfier position as she looked at him. How odd to think that these pissy half demon was actually her father. She'd never given much thought to her father after Kagome's comment that she was the devil. She just assumed whoever he was, he wasn't going to come looking for her. She supposed that's when she started taking matters into her own hands.

Izumi suddenly groaned and slapped her forehead. "You saw…!" She hissed at him, realizing he'd seen the entire exchange between her and Shippo. She thought she might possibly die from embarrassment. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I saw what?" He whispered back.

"You saw me and Shippo…never mind…" She blushed more.

"I saw you trying to eat his tongue right out of his mouth, if that's what you mean." He whispered back mockingly.

"Oh shut up." She snapped.

There was another silence as they stared at different things, both lost in thought.

"You never told me what happened with your stomach." He pointed out.

"It's a long story." She said evasively, sounding blatantly unhappy with the direction their conversation had taken.

"We've got time." He said. "S'not like we're going anywhere."

Izumi sighed. He was right, dammit. "I don't think you want to know…"

"Try me."

She paused, trying to formulate her words carefully. "I didn't…have the best home life when I was a kid." She said slowly. "I kind of decided to just look out for myself and stop waiting for my da – for someone to come rescue me." She glanced at him and realized interrupting herself had done no good. He knew what she'd been about to say. "Well, Kagome spent most of the money she got from welfare on…various items. She mostly begged money off the guy she was dating at the time. Some rich guy named Satoshi something or other." Izumi paused again. This next part was still hurtful. "I was washing dishes one night when Satoshi came down from upstairs. Kagome was asleep, he told me, and he wanted to talk to me. He asked me if I liked wearing new dresses. I said yes, because I hadn't had a dress without a hole in a while. He told me I could get a new dress if I did…some things….with him…" She swallowed the lump that had formulated in her throat.

"How old?" Inuyasha asked softly.

"Hm?"

"How old were you?"

"Six." Izumi's voice broke. "I got my dress. Kagome noticed. She asked me where I got my new dress. I didn't answer. She…" She hesitated. "I really don't think you want to hear this."

"Tell me anyway." He said stoically

"She…locked me in a room full of bathroom chemicals until I started throwing up chronically. I finally begged her to let me out to breathe clean air, saying I'd tell her anything." Izumi sounded like she was telling someone about a sales report, not like she was describing the horrific abuse that had happened to her. "I told her what had happened. She called me a lying bitch and that I was going to hell where I belonged." Izumi took a shuddering breath. "She did it."

"She did what?"

"She cut me. She carved the word in my stomach."

He didn't answer.

Izumi felt the truth bleed from her lips and wished she could stop it. "I tried telling Sota that once when he asked me what happened. He told me I needed to stop making up stories. I stopped telling people things after that." She bit her lip. She rolled over, facing away from him. "I'm going to sleep." She stated firmly, squeezing her eyes shut.

He kept to his corner, watching her back as he tried to process what she had told him.

So Kagome had some violent tendencies. Whatever. It wasn't like he was a saint either. But this was so much more then he'd ever done. It was so much more then she'd ever done or even thought. She _tortured_ a _six year old._ It left the worst taste in his mouth to know this, but the proof was undeniably there. Why would Izumi lie to him about it? He felt his claws digging into his forearms. "God, Kagome…how could you….?" He murmured. She'd almost killed their only child in an extreme fit of anger. How could she have gone from being so sweet to so insane? Was it because of him?

The empty air didn't have an answer for him. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a doze until morning.


	6. Climax Building

**So pretty much this one has no song as a chapter header. I couldn't find a song. Really. I couldn't. If you think of something, send me a message.**

**~Don't own Inuyasha or Fake It by Seether ~**

Chapter 6: Climax Building

_She could smell the smoke and she could feel the flames licking at her skin again. Was this hell? Was she being punished for her sins? Just as she thought this, she could hear the sound of a screaming baby and she cried out in horror. She knew that cry. It had haunted her dreams so many times before. It was _her _child. The one that had been taken from her. She looked up on the wall and saw it screaming, writhing around as it floated and blood poured over it. It was drowning and she couldn't do anything to save it. She yelled, trying to drag herself over. Why did everything hurt so much? "My baby!" She screamed. "My baby, MINE!"_

_It was too late. The baby disappeared and she was left alone. The fire was gone just as soon as it appeared and she was left in a field not far from the village she and Inuyasha had lived in. She was running now, from something baying and barking in the woods. Clutched in her hands were the jewel shards and a bundle she assumed was a baby. Damn those dogs! How did they know it was her that had killed their sister? She stumbled and the baby fell down the well without a sound. She dove in after it, reaching it just before she hit the ground…_

Irasue clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Such anger…!" She said, her voice sickly sweet as she brushed back a strand of blonde hair from her large forehead. "But I won't make the same mistake my sister Urasue did, oh no." She giggled and looked in a pool of water at her slim reflection, primping in front of it. "That old woman deserved to die."

"Careful, sister." A slightly older version of Irasue stood next to her, "Arrogance could be your downfall."

"You worry too much Orasue." Irasue smiled even more, gazing lovingly at the body stretched out on the stone altar in front of her. "We'll resurrect this sorry excuse for a priestess and watch her gather our jewel shards for us." She stroked the black locks of the female stretched out on the altar lovingly. "Such pretty hair for a _miko_…"

Orasue allowed herself a cackle. "The Spider Heads should be gathering our guests as we speak."

A young child, so similar to other two sisters, ran into the room. "Ooo…! I'm so excited…! May we eat the one with the tail?"

"Absolutely, Arasue." Orasue agreed.

"And I want the one with the blonde hair as a doll." Arasue smiled brightly, though the expression was sinister. "She has such pretty, pretty hair…"

Irasue laughed, standing with her sisters and feeling a bit more then victorious. This was going to be a piece of cake.

~*FAKE*IT*~

Izumi woke up feeling like someone had taken her heart in the middle of the night and didn't bother to give it back. She opened her eyes slowly, her hair in her face as she tried to focus her vision. The first thing she saw was Kiki, her innocent face relaxed and without concern as she slept on. Izumi felt a surge of jealousy and hate wash over her. Why the hell did Kiki get it all? She was pretty, innocent, and had functional family waiting for her anxiously at home. Not to mention Izumi was pretty damn sure Shippo had feelings for her. The elder girl caught herself there. Not that she had feelings for the fox bastard. Because he was, after all, a bastard.

And a great kisser.

And charming.

Izumi pressed her face into the ground, shifting over more. She needed to think about something else that didn't involve him.

And then her chest hurt even worse as she ran over the conversation she had participated in last night. She was pretty damn sure her father didn't believe what she had told him. Why would she? That's all Sota ever talked about, was how virtuous and fair Kagome had been. It had been this Kagome, undoubtedly, that Inuyasha had fallen in love with. Why would he believe her mind had descended to the level of a psychotic alcoholic, sleeping with whoever was available at the time and putting her only daughter through hell just for the fun of it?

Izumi looked back at Kiki and felt another wave of hate and anger consume her. She'd always believed that maybe if she'd looked more like her mother, Kagome wouldn't have hated her so much. She even told Izumi herself that was one of the main reasons she tortured her. _You're so damn pathetic, with your ugly blonde hair and that face…God, you look more like your father then anything else. That's right, you little bitch! You look like the man I hate!_ "Jesus…make it stop…" Izumi mouthed, Kagome's voice ringing in her head like some twisted death knell.

"Get up."

Izumi turned over and blinked at Inuyasha as he stood above her, foot nudging into her rib cage. "Hm?" She asked, more confused that he was even talking to her.

"I said get up. We're going to try your damn fool of a plan today, idiot girl." He growled softly. There wasn't anything hostile in his voice. (Well, beyond the norm.) In fact, he almost seemed warmer to her then before.

Izumi sat up, feeling the bandage on her thigh slip down her leg. She sighed and unwrapped it, wincing as she touched the wound. "Ow! Dammit!" She held the bandage up, staring moodily at her leg.

Kiki rubbed her eyes as Inuyasha moved on to wake up Shippo and Myoga. "Izumi, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She said tersely, trying to unsuccessfully bandage her leg. She hadn't bothered to learn first aid back at home, though she'd been hurt from time to time. Usually if she was hurt too bad she'd lie in bed and pass out and Uncle Sota would bandage her up while she was asleep.

"Let me hel-"

"No!" Izumi bristled.

Kiki drew back, hurt.

Inuyasha and Shippo stared at Izumi and there was another awkward silence.

"You were thinking about her." Kiki said solemnly.

Izumi glared at her balefully. For someone so naïve, she sure was intuitive.

"It doesn't really matter if I tell you that I'm not her." Kiki said, starting to sound angry and upset. "You just don't seem to connect in your brain that I'm someone completely different!"

Izumi looked at her leg, tying a sloppy bandage. She didn't reply.

"Well you're stupid!" Kiki yelled. "I'm not Kagome!"

Izumi stood up and brushed herself off. "You're right. You're not." She said, eerily calm.

Kiki relaxed a bit, pleased at the confirmation that she was right.

Izumi started walking out. "In fact, you're worse."

Kiki gasped and turned around, shocked as she watched Izumi pick up the large box in the way of the door and toss it.

Izumi limped out into the sunlight.

Shippo snorted. "She's worse then you." He told Inuyasha.

"Kiki." Inuyasha turned to the young girl, who had stood up and started to stomp outside. "Not a good idea."

Kiki watched Izumi walk out and sit on the grass. "Ooo!" She clenched her hands into fists. "She thinks she's so…so…!" Kiki stomped her foot. "I just wish I could kick her butt!"

Shippo laughed, teasing a small smile onto Kiki's face again.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, walking out to stand beside Izumi.

Izumi was tearing the grass out of the ground, enjoying the small breeze that stirred through her hair. "I can smell them. There's not a whole lot, but just enough to seriously stop our progress if we let them catch us."

"Run fast." He grunted.

Izumi stopped and gave him a pernicious look, but it was toned down. "We about ready?"

"Just about. The 'princess' has to calm down." He said under his breath so only his daughter could hear.

Izumi smirked and then stood up. "Alright. What's the plans after we land?"

"Find Miroku and Sango." Shippo replied behind them, Kiki trailing along. "Right? That's where we should head if we get separated anyway."

Izumi shrugged. "Sounds like fun." She stretched. "Let's go."

They migrated to behind the temple, all of them tense and hyper aware of their surroundings.

Izumi could hear the Spider Heads rustling about in the background, getting more and more agitated as they approached the cliffs edge. It mingled with the rushing water she heard echoing from below. She swallowed. That's what she was shooting for. She took a step towards the cliff and heard them get more agitated. She looked at the woods in irritation before looking over the cliff. She could see the water and exactly how far she'd have to angle herself before hitting it. She swallowed thickly and backed up, reaching the rest of them. "On the count of three?" She exhaled, looking at all of them. She closed her eyes and tensed.

Once again, they watched her explode out of her clothing, ripping it to shreds this time around. A gigantic dog stood, shaking her fur out with a growl.

The Spider Heads, realizing something was amiss, started up a warning call to the others. They started towards the travelers as they climbed up on the large white dog's back.'

Izumi waited until they were all on before she took a few steps back. She tensed her muscles and sprang forth, almost knocking Kiki off her back. The jump itself was glorious. There was an exhilaration as her paws left the ground and she pushed herself forward, hoping to hell and back that her momentum was enough to carry them to the river. There was no sound beside the wind as they descended rapidly, landing smack dab in the middle of the water.

Izumi felt the initial impact only moments after she had landed. It was sharp and needling at first and then intense pain as she realized she had broken several bones. She transformed back in the water to her normal form, head thrown back and mouth open in soundless agony. God, how it burned as her pulse thudded through her head. She could see the surface of the water disappearing as she sunk lower, unable to push herself up towards air because of all the pain. Her eyes fluttered close as she felt panic bubble into her gut. She was going to die. The familiar burn of suffocation itched at her lungs as she reached a broken hand up in supplication to whatever god was up there to please not let her die. She'd just found some sort of family here in this odd world in the past.

Something snatched her hand and she felt herself get dragged to the surface. She felt the pressure ease as they reached it and she coughed as air exploded into her waterlogged lungs. She got pulled onto someone's back as they breathed heavily, swimming towards the side of the river.

"Come on, Izumi." Shippo's voice sounded exhausted as she felt herself placed on dry ground. "You can't come this far to die by drowning."

When she didn't answer, he kneeled in front of her in frustration. "Goddammit, you're a dog aren't you? They fuckin' love water!" He looked at her in concern and gingerly placed his hands on her sternum, right above her breasts. She was naked, after all. With one hardy push, she started to throw up water. He turned her over as she heaved up every last bit of it, shuddering as she tried to push herself up.

Izumi yelped as she put pressure on her right hand, collapsing onto the ground. "Jesus!" She hissed hoarsely and rolled onto her back, holding it up to the light. Three fingers were obviously broken, looking painfully crooked, and the palm looked almost smashed in. She'd shattered her hand. She sighed and reached out her left hand. "Shippo, help me sit up so I can see why I hurt." Then she froze. "Don't touch me!" She hissed, withdrawing her hand and she covered herself. She blushed completely. "God, you could've told me I didn't have any clothes on!"

He rolled his eyes. "I was trying to save your ass! Did you want me to let you drown?"

"Whatever you fuckin' perv!" She yelled back at him, glaring. She felt tears start at the back of her eyes and she looked away. Damn, she couldn't even curl up to cover herself because of her broken ribs.

"Here." Shippo said impatiently, stripping off his shirt. "Wear this. It'll at least cover you for the most part."

She took it from him. "Help me up." She said tersely, holding out her left hand again as her right one weakly pinned his shirt to her body.

"You're welcome." He muttered, helping her up anyway. Inside, he was relieved she was alive, but he'd never tell her that. To hell with it. She'd probably just laugh at him and call him a moron.

She winced as she sat up, pulling the shirt quickly over her head. Gingerly she touched the left side of her torso just under her breast. "Broken…" She muttered and tried to move both legs, gasping and grabbing the right one as her search found another broken bone. "Mother of God…" She said weakly.

"We'll have to bind those up so they don't get even more broken." Shippo stated, looking around for the others. Nothing. "Let's get away from the river. Those Spider Heads will probably come looking for us."

Izumi nodded, closing her eyes as she focused breathing in and out. Breaking your shin hurt a lot worse then anyone ever thought it did. She opened one as she felt hands slip under her thighs and across her back. "What the-?"

Shippo lifted her up, pulling a face. "You weigh a ton! What do you eat?"

"Children." Izumi snarled. "Now put me down!"

"Nah." Shippo ignored her and headed into the forest. "You'd be slow. You're all broken and stuff."

"God, if I could punch you…" She muttered, but she sounded exhausted. She laid her head on his shoulder, her eyes half lidded. "Don't get any ideas or anything…I'm just tired…"

Shippo tried to keep a straight face. "Of course."

"Bite me, fox bastard." She said softly. "God, this hurts." She groaned.

He tripped up a little on a rock and she hissed as his grip tightened on her.

"Dammit, broken rib you ass!" She smacked his shoulder lightly, glaring at him.

"Oh go back to being exhausted." He shot back. "You were much cuddlier then."

Izumi blushed and refused to look him in the eye. "Just…put me down or something…" She muttered.

"When we get there." He replied. She was soft in his arms, not like her usual spiky ice bitch self. But watching her close her eyes and her mouth drawing into a tight thin line, he realized she was in a lot of pain.

They didn't go much farther in. Only to a small clearing about fifteen minutes away from the river.

He set her down with her back against a tree. "So, what's broken?"

"Everything." She snapped, but it sounded weak. "My hand, my shin, and a few ribs."

"Nice going." He sat next to her with a sigh. "We need to get you clothes and find some food."

"How're we going to do that? There's nothing for miles around in either direction. The Spider Heads were already here." Izumi wrinkled her nose. "I can smell them."

"So can I." Shippo grimaced. "Probably not as much as you. Your dad has the best nose in the world. I'm sure you inherited that." He stood and sighed. "Well, I guess we can get out of here and go look for a village…"

"I can't walk." Izumi pointed out. "Why don't you go find stuff and I'll…" She closed her eyes as she tried to move her leg. She swallowed and tried again. "I'll stay here."

"That's not an option. What if the Spider Heads come back?"

"Then I die." She said matter of factly.

He stood up, fisting his hands on his hips. "To hell with that! You're coming with me!"

Izumi looked up at him and felt a blush creep onto her face. God, he had the nicest muscles. "Fine. Just…don't get crazy with your hands…cause I can't really fight back…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Oh." She scowled at him.

He knelt in front of her. "Here. I'll let you ride on my back."

"I'm not going to let you cup my ass!" She yelled.

"Just do it." He said shortly.

She paused for a bit before grudgingly acquiescing and wrapping her arms around his neck.

He picked wrapped his arms around her thighs gently and stood, shifting his weight to carry her better, then started walking in a south easterly direction.

She watched the trees pass by at first, refusing to look at him. After all, she was fairly certain she could've taken care of herself if it had come to the Spider Heads. After a while, she felt fatigue tug at her. Damn the body's natural reaction to hurt! She yawned and placed her head on his shoulder, breathing on his neck. "I don't know why you save me." She said.

"That's true. You don't." He replied.

"You should tell me."

"I don't feel like it."

"I'm going to bite you one of these days." She growled and he felt a shiver course down his spine.

"I'm going to enjoy it one of these days." He replied, squeezing her thighs.

She didn't smack him, however, but growled. She leaned in closer and murmured, "Hey fox bastard…guess what I figured out…?"

"What?" He swallowed.

"You respond better when I turn you on…" She said slowly, accentuating each word.

He paused, trying to think of a witty come back. Shit. Inuyasha's attitude and Kagome's determination in one being? He was screwed.

"Keep walking. I won't do it now." She grunted, turning her head away from his neck. "I'm too tired to make you happy."

He started walking but didn't reply.

The woods were quiet, to say the least. Oppressively so. He kept on his toes, always paranoid that some Spider Head was lurking somewhere behind the large trees that surrounded them. Overhead, thunderclouds gathered and thunder rumbled somewhere. He grimaced. He'd always hated thunder.

"You keep jumping every time there's a lightning flash." Izumi pointed out sleepily.

"Let's just say I don't like lightning or thunder." Shippo muttered, inspecting the ground before him.

"Why?" Izumi prodded, wincing as a light drizzle started up. She shivered as a cool breeze swept past her back.

"I think we're almost past Spider Head country." He diverted the conversation, a little worried. Izumi needed medical attention quickly, not to mention clothes and a place to shelter them from the oncoming storm.

Far in the distance, a small figure appeared, like a black dot on the horizon. As it approached them, it split into three dots. Three people. The wind blew into their faces and Izumi growled, "Humans."

"At least they're not antagonistic demons." Shippo replied, walking towards them. "And maybe they'll help us."


	7. The Dead Can't Testify

**I've been sick lately so I keep updating a lot.**

**~Don't own Inuyasha or Fake It by Seether or The Dead Can't Testify by Billy Talent~**

Chapter 7: The Dead Can't Testify

Inuyasha dragged the skinny girl out of the river, looking around for Shippo and his daughter.

There was nothing at all in the river besides churning water. However, the smell of Spider Heads was distinct and it unnerved him enough not to keep wasting time. "Kiki." He tapped her cheek, looking around. "Get up. We gotta go." Damn these fragile females and their nerve to pass out at the impact!

Kiki looked blearily at him. "Hmm?"

"Get up. It's time to go." He told her, straightening up. Sure enough, he could hear the telltale hissing of Spider Heads around him. Damn, they had followed him. His fingers twitched as he scanned the dead woods around him, looking for a pair of eyes or something that would show their location. It was so much easier to fight when you knew what you were fighting. His sense of smell dampened from their jolly swim, he growled in frustration. "Goddammit, Kiki, let's go!" He hauled her up by the arm and started walking swiftly for the woods.

Kiki squealed as large spindly hands reached out to grab her.

Inuyasha swiped at them, yanking her away. "Shit!" He backed up, realizing the woods were crawling with these things. The broken trees grew black and spindly with limbs as more and more of them showed up to halt their progress. They retreated rapidly until Kiki cried out, her shoe sinking into the mud of the river bank.

"Wh-what do we do…?" She whimpered.

He grimaced. Where was Shippo and Izumi? Had they been caught up in this? "Just stay still." His nostrils flared as he caught another scent. Something that smelled slightly familiar… "Urasue…?" He questioned nobody in particular.

The spindly demons made a path and a skinny girl dressed in rags moved like a ghost, approaching them with a scowl. Her red eyes were sunken in and her blonde hair hung in her face as she carried a scythe, a piece greenery in her other hand. "I am not she." She said sullenly. "She was my idiot sister; the one the _miko_ Kikyo killed. I am Erasue, one of the five." She pointed a long finger at Inuyasha. "Give me the girl and come along quietly. I have no time for troublesome fights."

"Well you're going to have to make time!" He snarled. "She's not going anywhere!"

Erasue sighed. "This is…disappointing. Irasue said it would be a piece of cake…" She gazed at the twig in her hand, twirling it between her spindly fingers. "Contain him." She called. "But do not poison nor kill him. Arasue wants a doll."

On her command, several Spider Heads launched themselves at the half-demon, Kiki's screeching hanging in the air as bodies piled on top of him. God there was just too many… Something pierced his skin and he snarled, pushing something off. He could feel his senses dulling as if he was wading through fog, but he still pushed them off. He could feel every inch of him slowly refuse to work until his eyelids closed and he knew no more.

Kiki whimpered as she was forced to kneel before the teenage girl, just about her own age. "What do you want with me?"

Erasue just smirked and turned to walk away.

The Spider Heads grabbed Kiki's arms and started to drag her away.

Kiki fought hard and screamed, "Izumi's gonna…gonna kill you…!" She yelled at Erasue.

The girl paused.

Kiki hung suspended in the air between the two demons, shuddering as the soft hair on their limbs rubbed against her skin.

Suddenly the blade of Erasue's scythe was pressed up against Kiki's throat and the girl froze in absolute fear.

Erasue smirked. "Izumi…?" She prounounced the name mockingly, turning her head to the side. "You think she's going to save you? Ha! Don't you get it? You're the number one ingredient in resurrecting her mother! You think she's going to want to rescue you after she figures this out?" Erasue tittered wickedly and turned away. "Let's go do something unholy, Kiki."

~*FAKE*IT*~

Izumi didn't sense the façade until it was too late. Her head shot up to warn Shippo but the strangers had already come within distance and had thrown a scythe at the fox demon's throat.

He ducked and Izumi pulled away from him, standing shakily on one foot as she took a weak fighting stance beside him.

"Dammit!" She snarled. "Demons! I should've known!"

"What's the matter, daughter of the half-breed Inuyasha?" A young adult blonde woman smiled sweetly at her, red eyes flashing. "Don't like how we smell? You should recognize this smell…"

Izumi's nostrils flared and her eyes widened. "Shit." She said shakily, turning white.

"What?" Shippo turned to her, dismayed.

"Shit, shit shit shit shit…!" She took a step back, successfully tripping.

Shippo caught her arm and she leaned against him. It disturbed him to feel her trembling. "What's wrong?"

A little girl, looking entirely too similar to the young blonde that had addressed Izumi, giggled and skipped around them. "Higurashi took a torch and the shrine she did torch. Cause she decided she was done when her mother beat her just for fun!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Izumi screamed, falling down to her knees. "JUST…SHUT UP!" She clenched her fists into the dirt.

"Izumi, darling, you need to come with us now." Their middle aged sister said, approaching the strawberry blonde demon.

"She's not going anywhere!" Shippo said defiantly, though he was utterly confused. Did that girl just accuse Izumi of burning down her own house…? Impossible. Izumi was messed up, but…

"Aw, such a cute lover you've acquired, Izumi-chan." The young adult purred as she looked Shippo over hungrily. "My name's Irasue, good sir. These are my sisters Arasue and Orasue. I'm sure you remember our dear other sister, Urasue…"

Shippo's eyes widened as he looked around. Damn, they were circling them! "The one who brought Kikyo back..." He gasped. "Oh my God! Kagome!" That was all he got out before a sharp pain in the back of his head dropped him like a stone.

Izumi crawled painfully over to Shippo and placed a hand on his back. "What the hell do you want?" She asked, hysteria edging her voice.

"We want you to witness the resurrection of your dearly departed mother." Irasue said sweetly. "I'm sure she'll want to see you anyway. You didn't exactly part on good terms…now did you…?"

Izumi shuddered as a cold wind blew across her half naked body. There wasn't a whole lot she could do here. She was screwed. She could barely walk, Shippo's brains had been addled and he wouldn't be getting up for a while, and they were outnumbered anyway. She turned he head away from them, her hands clenching into fists.

Arasue laughed girlishly. "That's a good girl! Now, let's go! The ceremony is about to begin!"

~*FAKE*IT*~

Kiki hated the smell of the water she was in. It smelled of bitter herbs and blood, making her nose wrinkle as she held back the tears that had started. At least she was out of the pouring torrential rain that had started up. She turned her head to look at Inuyasha, still passed out and put in a cage like a dog. God, how she wished he'd wake up and save her…

"Erasue! We brought the others!" An older version of Kiki's captor's voice sang out.

Kiki craned her neck and gasped as she saw the Spider Heads drag in Izumi in a kimono and an unconscious Shippo. "Izumi! Oh God, Izumi! Save me-!" She paused, horrified, to see Izumi look at her. Her eyes were hollow and sunken in, like she had no hope for anything in this world. She looked like…well, like a victim; like she had nothing to live for anymore. It was so awful Kiki shuddered and looked away, dismayed as her own hope of survival dwindled. What was there for her to believe in if Izumi didn't even believe in herself?

"I want them all to be my dolls!" Arasue giggled and clapped.

"Afterwards, darling. Afterwards." Irasue said soothingly. "Throw him in with the other. As for her…she'll just stand and watch." The demoness cackled and went over to the body laying on a table opposite of where Kiki lay. "Soon, my precious…soon…" She said lovingly, stroking the hair of Kagome.

"We're ready, Irasue." Orasue told her younger sister eagerly. "Initiate this unholy act!"

Irasue held out her hand and Erasue placed the twig in it. Irasue smiled benignly and set the twig carefully on the body.

There was a bright light and Kiki screamed until her throat seized and she knew no more.

Izumi watched with dull eyes as the body grabbed the twig tightly, starting to rise up with blank eyes. The burning dread in her stomach deepened as she heard Inuyasha start to come around.

He groaned and shielded his eyes against the light. "K-Kikyo…?" He whispered. No. No he knew that scent. It was individual to only one such person. "Kagome…" He drew his hand back, eyes wide in disbelief. They were bringing back Kagome.

The body slumped forward and the light suddenly withdrew itself. Kagome lifted a hand up to her forehead and then stretched her fingers apart, looking at them in wonder. Her brown eyes were unfocused as she looked around, like she had awakened from a deep sleep. "Is…" She rasped. She cleared her throat and tried again, shifting her naked body on the altar. "Is this still hell…?"

Inuyasha frowned. Kagome had gone to hell…?

"No, Kagome-sama." Irasue bowed deeply. "This is the living world."

"Fuck." Kagome muttered, frowning at her hands. "Where are my clothes?" Then she looked up, astonished. "Is that-?"

Izumi stared back at her with hollowed golden eyes. "Hello mother." She said emotionlessly.

Kagome's face split into a smile, then a crazed grin. "Izumi…Izumi, it's really you!" She go off the altar and shakily walked to the younger woman. "Oh my god, how long has it been! You must be older then me now!"

Izumi flinched as Kagome wrapped her arms around her, both ignoring the mother's naked state. "Don't…"

"Don't what, precious…?" Kagome pulled away and took Izumi's face in her hands, practically purring. "Don't slap you? Is that what you were going to say? Hmm?" Her fingers tightened on Izumi's jaw, fingernails digging into her skin. "Oh I won't. Even though you MOTHER FUCKING BURNED ME ALIVE!" She screamed and slammed her fist into her daughter's face.

"Don't!" Inuyasha called out, hands gripping the bars of the cage he was in.

Kagome – his Kagome – turned to look at him as Izumi slumped against the wall and fell to the ground. "Inuyasha!" She sounded overjoyed. "Well, if this isn't the most glorious family reunion!" She turned to Izumi. "Hey, you little bitch, did you tell him what really happened to your dearest mother?" She punctuated the last word by slamming her foot into Izumi's shin.

"FUCK!" Izumi screamed as the bone split through her skin, blood covering her mother's naked limbs.

"Kagome, stop! For Chrissake, she's our daughter!" Inuyasha pushed against the bars, dismayed.

Kagome looked at him and an unholy smirk lighted up her face. "She really didn't tell you everything, did she? What did she say? That I was mean? That she's glad I'm dead?"

Izumi started to sob on the ground, turning her face away from her mother.

Kagome reached down and grabbed Izumi's hair, forcing her head brutally back up. "Tell him what you did to me, slut! Tell him what _really_ happened to me!"

Izumi didn't look at her father, looking at the wall instead. "No…"

Kagome bashed her head against the wall. "YOU FUCKING TELL HIM!"

"STOP!" He yelled. "Izumi, dammit! Just tell me!" He said desperately.

Izumi licked her lips, coming back with freshly spilt blood from her nose. She refused to look at him as she whispered, "I did it."

Kagome yanked on her hair again. "Tell him what you did!"

"I killed her!" Izumi yelled. "I killed Kagome!"

The cave was silent as everyone soaked this up; for some, with pleasure. For others, with horror or guilt.

"After she stabbed me…I got fed up with her…I waited until she was drunk and I…I handcuffed her to a heater. Then I stuffed a baby doll in her mouth so she couldn't scream. Then I waited until she woke up and I…" Izumi closed her eyes painfully.

"She told me what a horrible bitch I was." Kagome said sweetly. "She told me how much she hated me and how she'd wanted to do this for a long time. Ever your daughter, eh honey?" She smiled coldly at her ex-lover. It was so rich to see that crushed look on his face. "Oh God, I got an earful. Didn't I, Izumi?" She put her daughter's head down and turned to the demonesses who had been watching the exchange with twisted pleasure. "I want clothes now."

"Of course, Kagome-sama." Irasue purred.

Orasue handed her a bundle of priestess garb and stood back as Kagome slipped into it.

Inuyasha stared at Izumi, watching her cry on the ground like she was six again. She'd lied to him. She'd lied to everyone. Nobody had known what had happened to Kagome besides the fact that she had burned alive in a house. Had she spent forever in hell, reliving the moment of extreme torture over and over?

"You know, I learned some things in hell. Do you want to hear them, darling?" Kagome asked Inuyasha as she finished clothing herself. "I learned that no matter what, I'm always going to hate you." She smiled and walked over to Izumi. "And I learned new ways to torture this bastard child of yours."

"Bastard…?" He looked at her confused. "She's legitimate, isn't she?"

Izumi paused, holding absolutely still. Where had the 'bastard child' thing come from?

"Oh, Inuyasha…" She gave him a pitying look. "How do you get a demon from a half demon and a human?" She grabbed Izumi's arm and dragged her over towards the cage. "You never were good at adding things up, you dick. Think about it." She said vehemently, throwing Izumi up against the bars.

Izumi coughed painfully, rolling on her back and squeezing her eyes shut in pain.

Inuyasha let go of the bars, closing his eyes in realization and pain. "Shit…" He said under his breath. "Shit shit shit…."

Izumi was his, but Izumi wasn't Kagome's at all. Kagome had tortured his daughter for six whole years and he had no idea she'd even existed.

Izumi opened one eye and watched as her mother interacted with the demonesses who had revived her. "She's…she's not my mother, is she…?"

"No." He said softly. "No, she's not."

Izumi felt her lip curl in a snarl and suddenly hot anger flooded through her. "Good. Then I don't feel bad about killing her again." She rolled on her stomach and pushed herself up with the help of the cage bars.

"Don't…!" He hissed and grabbed onto the sleeve of her kimono. "She'll kill you first!"

"Then we'll go to hell together." Izumi spat, fire back in her golden eyes.

"Demons don't go to hell, idiot." Shippo's voice floated out to them. "And don't move. Help is on the way."

"How the hell…?" Inuyasha turned to look at him.

"I can smell Miroku." Shippo murmured under his breath, his lips barely moving as he rubbed the back of his head. "Can't you?"

"I can't use any of my senses for some reason. Can you Izumi?" Inuyasha asked.

"All I can smell is her." Izumi said violently, jerking her thumb at the pseudo mother.

"I won't go get the jewel shards just so you can grow rich and fat on borrowed power…!" Kagome hissed.

Irasue was furious. "I raised you from the dead, whore! You will do as I ask!" She grabbed Kagome's arm.

Kagome placed her hand on top of the demoness' and smiled pleasurably as Irasue screeched in pain. There was the smell of burning flesh as Irasue pulled back a stump where her hand used to be.

The trio watched as the once sweet and naïve girl brutally murdered every last demoness in the cave.

"God, she's everything you said she'd become…" Shippo whispered, watching in horror.

Izumi glanced at him and then looked at her father. "Do you blame me for killing her?"

Inuyasha turned away from the scene and retreated to a far corner of the cage. "Tell me when Miroku gets here." He said tonelessly and slipped his arms in his sleeves, sitting on the ground.

Izumi's eyes hardened and she grabbed the bars. "You're a fucking ass, you know that?"

He didn't answer.

"Fuck you." She pushed away from the bars and eased herself back to the cave wall, wincing as she lowered herself down to the floor. "You're not my father. Just some mother fucker whose goddamn blood I have."

Shippo glanced between father and daughter and sighed. Miroku had better get here soon…


	8. Heart Shaped Glasses

**So I just realized that there's no goddamn sex in this and it's the fuckin eighth chapter. What the hell's wrong with me?**

**~Don't own Fake It by Seether, Inuyasha, or Heart Shaped Glasses by Marilyn Manson (THAT'S RIGHT. YOU LOVE HIM. ADMIT IT.) ~**

Chapter 8: Heart Shaped Glasses

Kagome turned to her daughter, a twisted smile on her face. "I can sense jewel shards. My, my Inuyasha…What have you been doing while I've been gone…?" She murmured, putting a hand to her face. She looked around them, frowning as she saw not a glimmer of the shards she sought after. "Where…?" She glanced at the tub next to the altar and her smile returned. "Aw…she's precious…" Kagome walked over and stroked the side of Kiki's face. "I remember when I was like that. All innocent and unknowing…She's dead now, isn't she?" Kagome asked, picking up Kiki's arm and running her fingers over the girl's smooth skin. "She died to resurrect me…" She turned to Izumi. "I approve of your friends, daughter dearest. They have the greatest sense of sacrifice…" She laughed at Izumi's enraged look, than removed a small little satchel off of Kiki's person. "These will come in handy. I'm sure most of them are gathered up by now." She purred.

"What are you going to do?" Izumi asked.

"Well first, I'm going to burn you alive." Kagome examined the jewel shard, holding it up to the light. "Then I suppose I'll dispose of that worthless half demon." She glanced at him in question and smiled. "Shippo, you were always my friend, weren't you? Would you be willing to come with me?"

"I…" He looked at her, lost. "I don't get it…I saw you…you were pregnant…"

"I wasn't." Kagome's smile faded. "My damned body turned on me. All because I wanted a baby so fucking bad." Her voice shook with emotion. "Instead I got this little pussy." She pointed at Izumi hatefully.

But Izumi didn't glare back. Instead, she looked at the scene unfolding behind her damned mother.

Kiki's body was starting to glow a strange pink color, shortly followed by little orbs floating back into her body.

Kagome screeched as said orbs left her own body. She grasped at them desperately, trying to keep them in her body. "No! NO! You can't -!" She looked around and grabbed a knife, holding it high above her head to plunge into Kiki. "You can't have it back, stupid girl!"

Izumi moved a lot quicker then she should have, grabbing hold of Kagome's wrist and snapping it with a swift twist.

Kagome screamed and pulled her arm back into her body.

Izumi clasped both of her hands and slammed them into the back of Kagome's head, knocking her out. Izumi stumbled over her mother and almost landed on top of Kiki. "Dammit…" She pulled her head up to see Kiki staring blearily back at her. "What the hell…?" She murmured. "You're alive!"

Kiki sat up slowly, putting her palm to her forehead. "What's…?"

"Izumi, get us out!" Shippo yelled, interrupting the reunion. "We have to get out of here!"

"What about this Miroku guy?" Izumi yelled back at him, dragging her foot over to the cage. "Isn't he supposed to show up?"

"He's still too far off." Inuyasha spoke from the corner. "And you can't cut the bars, Izumi."

"I'm not going to cut them." Izumi muttered, even though that was exactly what her plan had been a few minutes ago. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"Where's the jewel shards?" Kiki gasped, searching herself for the little satchel.

"My mother has it." Izumi called over her shoulder. "Left hand. Don't wake her up!" She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and then smashed her fist into the bars.

They shattered and Shippo yelped and jumped back, though some of the shards from the cage hit his face. "DAMMIT, IZUMI!" He yelled, putting a hand over his stinking cheek. "TELL ME NEXT TIME YOU DECIDE TO DO THAT!"

Izumi rolled her eyes and pointed at Kiki. "Get her out."

Shippo glared and did as she asked, grabbing Kiki and hurrying out with the jewel shards.

Izumi stared at her father. "You coming or you gonna mope?" She grunted.

"What're you going to do with her?" He asked, pointing at Kagome's body.

Izumi looked at the woman who was once her mother. "I could kill her." She said coldly. "But I won't."

He looked up at her.

"I'm done…killing. It's just a bunch of blood and mess and…" She shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm done. I'm just leaving her here." Izumi turned around and started shuffling towards the exit. No family again for her. But she couldn't decide which hurt worse: hating them when they weren't there or hating them when they were there. She closed her eyes tightly as her leg throbbed and blood gushed out of the open wound. She felt so dizzy…

Izumi felt an arm wrap around her waist and she opened her eyes in surprise.

"Come on." Inuyasha said, pulling her arm over his shoulders. "Let's get out of here."

~*FAKE*IT*~

Minoru was the youngest child in his family, though he didn't look like it. He was tall and large in stature for a normal Japanese man, taller then his twin elder sisters, Sayuki and Sayuri. He was also honest to a fault. A very large earthquake-y fault. Minoru could not tell a lie to save his life. He lived with his family, ignoring the teasing of his sisters about the absence of a wife in his life, and worked on the plot of land his family owned. That's what he did. Hard work and honesty. His mother, Sango, adored him. His father, Miroku, wasn't sure if he should be proud or demoralized. However, Sayuki and Sayuri made up for whatever disappointment Minoru gave his father.

While working on a garden outside, Minoru was surprised to see his father approach him. The man didn't do anything but sit inside most days, now that Minoru took care of every inch of property. He straightened up and wiped his forehead on his arm, his black shaggy hair falling into his eyes. "Hello otou-san." He smiled.

Miroku gestured for him to follow. "Come quickly, Minoru. I must aid a friend and I'm taking you with me."

"What friend?" Minoru asked, puzzled. As far as he knew, his father never had much of a social life outside the family. Not that Minoru had any right to point fingers…

"A friend from a long time ago. I sense he's in trouble." Miroku didn't say another word to him after that. He didn't have to. Minoru was obedient. He'd follow his father to the ends of the earth, because that was the right thing to do.

However, poor Minoru never expected that this friend of his father's would be partially demon.

They arrived outside the cave within two hours, the smell of burning flesh and herbs strong on the wind.

"Damn, they left!" Miroku peered inside the cave, seeing nothing but the charred remains of Urasue's sisters. "Where could they be…?"

"I thought you could sense them." Minoru pointed out.

"Inuyasha is hiding his power from someone or something. Something must have gone on here that terribly wounded him." Miroku actually sounded legitimately worried. He looked up into the sky as smoke rose from the cave opening and tinted the blue up above. "I can sense…someone else. A dog demon."

"Sayuki and Sayuri can take care of that." Minoru said, referring to the demon slaying skills their mother had drilled into the twins from the day they turned three.

"No. No this one is different." Miroku said, sounding distracted. "Let's see what it is."

Minoru frowned. "Yes, father." He followed behind the elder man, but was obviously unhappy about it. He had encountered demons before and knew how cruel they could be. He felt exposed at the base of a mountain, nothing but wide field all around him. Where the woods started was Spider Head land. He and his sisters had been forbidden to go there since reports first started flowing in of the wayward demons.

The brush got thicker, moving into healthy greenery as opposed to the black dead wood that belonged to the spindly demons. This eased Minoru's nerves a bit, though he was still nervous. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and followed his father.

It didn't take long for them to hear a soft female voice and water splashing.

"You think that's the demon?" Minoru asked his father in a hushed whisper.

Miroku stroked his chin. "I think that's a woman bathing." He advanced forward but Minoru grabbed the collar of his robe.

"Otou-san…" Minoru sighed. "Okaa-san will kill you…"

Miroku paused, momentarily fearing the repercussions of peeking at a girl naked. Sango would brutally murder him. And she always found out. Always. He sighed. "Fine. You go…see if she's a demon or not…" His son needed an education in that department anyway. As far as he knew, Mironu was still disappointingly virgin. "I'll go this way." He pointed in the opposite direction of the voice.

Mironu nodded and set off walking quietly through the brush.

~*FAKE*IT*~

"…And you came and rescued me so it's okay now, right?" Kiki babbled happily as she waded naked waist deep through the water. Her slender arms covered her tiny breasts as she shuddered. So cold. "Right Izumi?" She turned with a bright smile on her face.

"Hmph." Izumi snorted, putting her good leg up through a slit in the kimono she wore. She was reclining on the rocks that surrounded the little pool and the waterfall. She was carefully washing off bits and pieces of herself, refusing to submerge completely as Kiki had. "Sure kid."

Kiki smiled. Izumi was in a better mood now that they had gotten away. She was nothing compared to how she had been when Kiki first saw her entering the cave; lifeless and without happiness…

The younger girl waded back to Izumi, secretly envious of the elder girl's curves and the way the kimono slipped off her shoulder just right. She placed her arms flat on the rock and rested her chin on her hands. "How're your injuries?"

"They're okay." Izumi said softly, pouring water over her blood soaked leg. She winced at it ran over the point where her bone had been sticking out of her skin. "After my old man put my shin back into place, it hurts a lot less."

"Wow, that looks painful." Kiki poked at it.

"Ow, FUCK!" Izumi snapped, slapping her hand away. "It still hurts, dumb bitch!"

Kiki just smiled at her. "Sorry!"

Izumi was about to tear her a new one for poking self respecting people's injuries when she paused. There was a human boy peeking at them. She got a wry look on her face and turned a bit. "Hey…Kiki…Think I should get in the pool?"

"Sure!" Kiki said excitedly, backing up. "Come on in!"

Izumi chuckled evilly and stood, slowly undoing the only tie that held the kimono together. "Aw, my breasts are too big…" She said in a breathy voice. "What do you think, Kiki?"

"They're just fine." Kiki scoffed. "I've got little boobs." She poked at the offending body parts in question. "They're shameful compared to yours."

Izumi let the kimono slip off her, her back turned to the intruder. "Really…? You think so…?"

There was a choking sound like someone was dying and Izumi's smirk widened.

Kiki ducked under the water with a shriek. "There's something out there?"

"Indeed there is." Izumi picked up the kimono and pulled it back on. As she bound it with the tie, she called. "Get your ass out here!"

There was a rustling in the bushes and a young man with tanned skin, long black hair, and wearing a grey work kimono. He looked extremely embarrassed and settled his gaze on the ground. "Pardon my intrusion, ma'am. I am looking for an individual who goes by the name of Inuyasha, the half breed."

"I am Inuyasha." Izumi said, giving the man a scrutinizing look. She ignored the shocked glance Kiki gave her. "What is it you want?"

"You're…?" He blinked and looked up at her. "I…I was under the impression that Inuyasha was a man…"

Izumi slid off the rock and limped towards him. "Are you insulting me?"

"N-no! I just…!" He backed up, looking uneasy.

"Minoru! Minoru, I found Inuyasha!" Miroku's voice came through the trees and Kiki squealed and took off for the trees.

Minoru looked in confusion as a silver haired man with dog ears bantered easily with his father as they approached them. "But…!"

Izumi snickered. "Do you really believe everything everyone tells you?" She crossed her arms, the kimono falling open a bit more and revealing quite a bit of cleavage.

"Holy Gods…" Miroku eyed her in awe. "Who is this, Inuyasha?"

"My daughter, Izumi, you sick faggot." Inuyasha pushed him. "God, I thought you got married!"

"I did!" Miroku readjusted his robes and sniffed. "I just thought she was yours, is all."

Izumi stuck out her tongue. "Ew. God no. He's like, what, three hundred and fucking old?"

"Watch your tongue before I rip it out." Inuyasha growled.

Minoru was in shock. What kind of lady used that sort of language…?

"Who're these guys, dad?" Izumi jerked a thumb at Minoru and Miroku.

"This is Miroku. He helped us get the jewel shards originally. And this is his son, Mironu." Inuyasha pointed at the young man in front of her.

"Nice to meetcha, peeper." Izumi said, smirking.

"'Peeper'?" Inuyasha whirled on Miroku. "What the hell have you been doing?"

Miroku held up his hands in innocence. "Take it easy. It wasn't me."

"Inuyasha-sama, I am ashamed. It was me." Mironu bowed deeply. "I apologize."

"Pssh." Izumi ruffled his hair and limped back to her rock. "Don't be so stiff, fool. Why don't you guys go convene somewhere else please? I still have to wash off some blood and you scared poor Kiki away."

Minoru blinked in surprise and straightened up slowly, touching his hair.

"Let's do as she says." Inuyasha sighed. "Shippo and I have learned the hard way that she has no shame…"

Miroku sighed. "If I was thirty years younger…"

"Don't. Go. There." Inuyasha growled, jabbing a finger in Miroku's chest as they walked back.

They entered the clearing to see Shippo tending to the fire.

"Miroku!" He smiled and stood up, gasping the man's arm. "How've you been?"

"Tired and old." Miroku sighed and returned the grip. "I'm glad you guys are safe. I went to the cave I could last sense you both in but…"

They both grew quiet and looked at each other uneasily.

"What?" Miroku gave them a puzzled look.

"Kagome's back." Shippo murmured looking at the ground.

"What…?" Miroku's eyes widened.

"Remember how Kikyo came back? Same thing." Inuyasha said shortly, settling his back against a tree.

"That's great!" Miroku said excitedly. "Did you talk to her?"

They both looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Remember how Izumi was cleaning blood off herself?" Inuyasha inspected his claws. "Kagome did that to her."

"Holy shit…" Miroku breathed.

Minoru looked puzzled, but didn't breathe a word. Let them talk. He'd figure it out eventually.

They settled around the fire and talked of different things. Mostly Minoru's mother and sisters and the state of the land they held.

Izumi walked back with Kiki, snorting in irritation as a bit of the kimono she was wearing snagged on a branch. "We have to go back to our time. This whole…robe thing is really not gonna work out."

"And I have to tell my parents what's going on!" Kiki cried. "Oh, they must be worried sick about me!"

"It's your own damn fault for having damn magical powers!" Izumi pushed her head playfully.

Shippo smiled. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Minoru staring at Izumi and frowned a bit. He made his way over and sat next to the young man. "Hey, Minoru. What're you staring at?"

Minoru blinked and blushed. "I have never seen hair that color." He mumbled into his muscled forearm. "It is…different."

"Yeah. Different." Shippo glanced at Izumi. For once, she had her hair down and it brushed over her shoulders, falling in her face a bit as she smiled at Kiki and her father's antics. Her brilliant gold eyes sparkled in the firelight and he swallowed thickly. She was beautiful, that was for sure. "So you saw her naked?" He turned back to Minoru.

Minoru blushed even more. "Um…I guess…"

"I guess means…?"

"Well, I saw her back side…"

"And…?" Shippo prodded impatiently.

Minoru hesitated. "It was…curvy and…white." He nodded, as if affirming his statement. "Very curvy."

Shippo made an irritated noise. "No, stupid! I mean…" He leaned in closer. "Would you…do anything…with her…?"

"I'm…not quite sure what you mean…" Minoru said slowly, though they both knew he was exactly aware of Shippo's meaning. "…But I feel uncomfortable with this conversation. She is a lady and I would treat her as such."

"I would too." Shippo smirked. "In bed."


	9. The Well

**Um. Here.**

**~Do not own Inuyasha, Fake It by Seether, or The Well by Hans Zimmer~**

Chapter 9: The Well

Sota was enjoying the sun on his face as it floated over the horizon, orange bathing the sidewalk on his path home. In his hands, he carried two grocery bags full of vegetables and food items. He missed Izumi, though she was loud and smeared blood all over the walls. However, she did try her hardest to make life easier for him. For example, she kept him safe –

He paused, frowning. Was that…bass…vibrating the sidewalk? He swallowed and looked up at the steps to the shrine. There were lights on at his house and he could see the shapes of people moving about inside of it. Either his house had been commandeered for a party or Izumi was home. He hurried up the steps and walked into his house, peeking around the door. "Izumi?" The rebuilding of this section had gone well, though wood still boarded up the windows and there was no tile or carpet or anything. Receiving no answer because of the turned up stereo, he tentatively stepped inside.

The living room was utter chaos. A trail of blood came from his front door (which the lock had been absolutely destroyed on that) to the couch in the living room where his niece reclined sullenly. She looked like something out of a horror movie, wearing a bloody kimono and a cut on her leg gushing blood. The staining life substance was held at bay by a towel (one of the nice ones, of course) pressed against her leg with her hands. Around her, Kiki kept fluttering about like a mother hen worried over her chick, asking her if she needed anything and if it hurt and 'Shouldn't we call your uncle?'

"No need. He's already here. So get out." Izumi grunted turning down the stereo. "Hey Ojii-san, sorry about the lock. I can fix that."

Kiki wandered up to him and bowed profusely. "I'm so sorry, sir! I have to go now!" She ran out without another word, rushing like a maelstrom.

Bewildered, Sota made his way over to his niece. "What on earth…?"

"She wouldn't leave me alone." Izumi grunted, turning off the stereo all together. She looked exhausted, with bags under her eyes and a soft grimace on her face. "Hey Ojii-san, could you bandage this up?" Not to mention the overly polite tone.

He smiled. "It's nice to have you home, Izumi."

Izumi looked up and blinked at him in surprise. She smiled back. "It's nice to be home."

~*FAKE*IT*~

Izumi soaked in the tub, sighing as she shifted her bare injured leg that she held above the water. There wasn't any use in getting the bath water bloody while she was bathing in it. Her strawberry blonde hair floated around her as she felt the tension in her muscles ease. Lord knew she needed this. She hummed absently as she lazily ran her hand over the length of her body. The bruises and cuts from the run in with her mother were disappearing, thanks to the demon blood that ran within her veins. She'd be as good as new then. She frowned as her fingers landed on the enchanted necklace around her neck. Kiki hadn't used it to force her to do anything since they'd begun this haphazard journey, yet the damn thing still wouldn't come off. Just for assurance, she tugged at it, once again only able to get it just above her ears. "Fuck." She said softly and frowned, sinking farther into the tub. Right now, there wasn't any immediate danger about getting thrown against the grown by unseen forces, all because some prepubescent teen was irked with her. However, she'd rather she didn't have to undergo that ever again. There had to be a way to get this off…

There was a clatter in the kitchen and Izumi frowned accordingly. Sota had gone out grocery shopping again, knowing that his niece would eat until there was nothing left. So who was sneaking around her house? She grimaced and pushed herself up, carefully getting out of the bathtub and leaning against the wall. She wrapped a white towel around herself and limped out the door. "Ojii-san?" She called, peering suspiciously down the hall. Night had fallen since she'd initially gotten in the tub to soak. The shadows in the house were long and twisted like the trees outside. "Ojii-san, you back yet?"

There was no answer, but the soft fall of footsteps on tiled floor alerted her that there was, in fact, someone there.

Izumi flexed her hand, the corners of her mouth pulling up in a soft snarl. She limped towards the stairs and pressed her back against the wall. One hand steadied her as she made her way slowly down and the other one held up the white towel. Whoever was in her house, it was definitely human. And she'd smelled them before…

She yelped as she hit her injured leg against the last step and fell forward. She put both her arms out to catch herself and the towel slipped down. Arms reached out and grabbed hers, trying to pull her up as she fell into another body. The scent she had smelled before overwhelmed her and she blinked in utter surprise as the name of the human finally came to her. "M-Minoru…?"

The young man blushed and looked away from her. "G-good evening, Miss Izumi…"

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, pushing up off him and readjusting the towel. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Your father was concerned that something would happen to you while you were recovering." Minoru turned his back promptly on her, pretending to examine something else.

Izumi opened up the towel and paused, smirking at him as she re-wrapped it. "Virgin."

"I'm sorry?"

She shook her head, still smirking. "Nothing. Look, you can go home. I can take care of myself."

"Your mother knows where you are." He said softly. "And we still don't know exactly where she is."

Izumi froze. There was no doubt in her mind that Kagome would come after her for revenge. And with this broken, swollen leg she wasn't good for anything. Kagome would burn her alive and she wouldn't even be able to fight back, just like Izumi had done to her…

The strawberry blonde shivered involuntarily. "Alright. Fine. But no sneaking around my house and scaring the shit outta me. Where's Shippo?"

"Keeping watch over Miss Kiki." Minoru peeked over his shoulder and looked quickly away. "M-miss Izumi, might I implore you to put some clothes on?"

"You might. Doesn't mean I'll listen." She sat on the couch, propping her leg up. "What's your deal? From the stories your dad and Ol' Yeller kept telling, you should be a man whore or something."

"Ol' Yeller?" He looked at her in confusion.

"It's a dog. I was indicating that my dad is uber old and a mutt." She raised an eyebrow. "I forget you're from somewhere else."

"I see…Well, I'm not a…what did you call it?" He asked, hesitantly, standing beside the couch.

"Man whore."

"A… 'man whore' because I don't believe in what my father does." He stated. "I believe every woman should be treated as a person, not property."

"A revolutionary idea." Izumi drawled, though she kept her eyes on him in interest. "But I imagine it's not that popular where you live."

"No." He admitted. "But my mother agrees, even if my sisters represent the opposite side."

"You have siblings?"

"They are the ones that take after my father." He grimaced. "They slay demons and like to cause trouble for me." He smiled. "Once, they lead their prey to our land and managed to destroy half the crops I had cultivated just because we got in an argument."

Izumi chuckled. "They sound like quite the pair."

"They are twins." He smiled wider. "What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"I didn't even really have a family until a couple days ago." She sighed, resting her head back on the couch. "If you can call it a family…" She paused and gave an ironic smile. "Homicidal mother, Father in denial, and the child nobody wanted."

"That's not true. Your father is fond of you."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Before I came back here, we got in a fight, remember?" She certainly did.

Izumi had confronted Inuyasha about his feelings regarding the details on Kagome's death. When he replied that he wasn't quite sure about it, she had reacted negatively (biggest understatement of the feudal era). A screaming match ensued, followed by both of them throwing punches. Naturally, Izumi got her ass handed to her (She blamed it on being a cripple) and was told to 'go home before I kill you instead of Kagome'.

She scoffed at the memory. "Whatever. I'm not even Kagome's real kid anyway. She just 'raised' me, if you can call it that." She turned her head away from him. "You can sit or whatever. There's drinks in the fridge if you want."

"Fridge?" He blinked owlishly at her.

Izumi stared back at him in silent exasperation. This was going to be interesting.

~*FAKE*IT*~

Shippo was dying to go see Izumi. He sat underneath a tree next to Kiki's quaint little home and skipped rocks across the pavement in the dark. It was late, too late for him to go to her and for it to be anything besides something forbidden. Damn Inuyasha for making him promise not to leave Kiki's side! At this, Shippo turned his head and peered through the open window at the young girl. She was sleeping soundly, draped in a sheer girlish night gown as she dreamed. The sight inspired a slight chemical reaction, but nothing as intense as Izumi had that day in the rain. He shivered involuntarily at the memory, eyes wide in the dark. There would be no way to get that out of his mind. He glanced at the peacefully sleeping Kiki again and made the definite decision to break his promise.

~*FAKE*IT*~

The rain started slowly, but Izumi had been able to smell it for hours now. She sat on the floor to her room, the lights off and every electronic unplugged. She didn't need their whirring now, a constant buzzing in her ears. Not to mention the possibility that the power would go out. Lightning illuminated her figure, a pale blonde in a light night gown. Normally she'd sleep naked, but her mother was out there…some where…

Sitting cross legged, she let her hands drape themselves in her lap as she closed her eyes. Somewhere, beneath the rain and the clouds that hung oppressive in the air, her mother walked the earth that had once held her, small steady steps that took her closer to revenge. Izumi shivered in the dark, almost feeling her mother clawing at her skin. She lifted her hands and put them over her eyes. "If I count to ten…" She whispered. "Will you go hide…?"

Thunder answered her query and she opened her eyes as lightning flashed again. Looking at the carpet, she put her hands back in her lap, inspecting the lines on them. From downstairs, the door opened and shut ever so quietly and she inhaled deeply, smelling Shippo come up the stairs and head straight for the room she occupied.

He opened the door with hardly a sound and stood behind her, pausing to marvel at how calm she seemed. It was almost, disturbing. In fact, it was disturbing. Here was the girl who at the age of six burned her mother alive and was now sitting before him, watching the rain cascade down. His attraction to her melted from emotional to physical after learning the truth.

"Go back to Kiki, Shippo." Izumi's voice was emotionless for once. It had a cold dead ring that made him shiver on the inside. "There's nothing you need here."

"That's not true. I need you." He took a step forward then froze.

Izumi turned her head slightly and one eye peered at him from a curtain of hair. Golden animosity pierced through him as she said again, "Leave, Shippo."

He hesitated, unsure now. Her father was never prone to brooding to this extent and her mother had been a generally happy person up until recently. So where the hell had Izumi come from…? "Izumi," He murmured.

Izumi's hand shot out and grabbed his ankle, pulling his foot out from underneath him.

He fell to the floor with a grunt and then blinked as she suddenly straddled him, knees effectively holding his arms to his side as her fingers wrapped around his throat.

Izumi was calm as ever. She stared down at him, the thunder shaking the house from overhead. "Do you know how…easy it is to snap your neck and burn your body?" She asked him softly, her grip on his throat relaxing as she stroked his bobbing adam's apple. "I could burn you alive, even. And no one would hear you scream…" Her grip on his throat tightened again.

"You're sick." He rasped, thoroughly frightened. "Your father – "

"Is an ass." She smiled a bit at this. "But please. Continue. I think you were about to say something amusing about revenge."

He didn't reply, glaring at her in a panicked way as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. Why the hell had he come here?

Her fingers left his neck and she stood up. "Leave, Shippo. Go back to Kiki." She turned and made her way to the window, pressing her killing hands flat against the glass as she peered out.

Shippo rubbed his neck as he glared at her. He was silent as he left, the only person in the house to hear his departure was the woman at the window.

Shortly after, Minoru opened the door with hesitant bashfulness. "Miss Izumi, I heard a bang. Are you alright?"

Izumi turned and looked at him as the lightning flashed, illuminating her tear stained face. "I'm fine."

He froze and his eyes softened in concern. "What's wrong?" He took a step forward.

"Just leave me alone!" She cried desperately, turning away from him. "I'll kill you too if you touch me, bastard!"

Minoru was silent at this outburst; nothing but Izumi's sobs and the sound of the storm outside could be heard.

She blinked in surprise as she heard his footsteps behind her then felt arms slide around her waist.

"No you won't." Minoru said softly in her ear. "You're not a killer."

Izumi felt more tears overwhelm her eyes and she turned in his arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck as she clung onto him. He seemed like her line to life, otherwise she'd be lot in a dark grey world of death and revenge. She tilted her head up and kissed him without thinking, emotionally damaged beyond repair at this point.

Minoru was surprised at first, but obliged to the sign of affection. He melded her lips to hers, letting her take the lead in this odd pursuit. He was confused at first, unsure why she had chosen to react this way. They had barely met. Just two strangers stuck together through odd circumstances. Not to mention she was a demon and, consequently, the daughter of Inuyasha; the half-demon's prowess preceded him through Miroku and Minoru never wished to get on his bad side. However, there was an odd desire for Izumi in her vulnerable state. He felt his blood stir as her hands slid off his neck to his shoulders.

She turned away from the kiss, inspecting the collar of his clothing. "You're strong."

"I am a hard worker, so I've been told." Minoru murmured, turning his head to the side. "Izumi…" He breathed against her cheek.

She closed her eyes and her hands gripped his shirt as she tilted her head a bit.

He ran his lips down her neck, settling on the skin where her shoulder and neck met.

Izumi shuddered, pressing herself more against him. Her eyes opened up into slits as the storm raged around her house. She could hear her uncle's deep breathing downstairs and Minoru's accelerating heart beat. She sighed as sucked on her pale skin, running her hands down his back. From far off she could hear the steady beat of someone's footsteps pounding the ground with the rain, but she didn't care. There was a feeling under her skin, like it vibrated with emotion. She felt calm this time and not so tormented in Minoru's arms. She caressed the back of his neck, encouraging his touches as she pretended that they were the only ones in this entire world.

~*FAKE*IT*~

Staring up into the window where her daughter currently resided, Kagome felt the familiar surge of hate for the little mutt stir up and threaten to consume her. Let her have happiness tonight. But for the next while, there'd be nothing but sorrow ready to consume the little bitch until she was begging to burn. The rain plastered Kagome's hair to her face and she lifted her face up, closing her eyes as she let it dribble down, plastering her clothes to her body. Her skin shone through the white top and her thighs were outlined clearly in the red pants she wore. How truly amazing it was to be alive again. How awful it was to feel these feelings again. She pulled her head back down, dropping her brown eyes to the ground as she took the path up to the well. Her younger brother truly had expanded this place and made it his own. The garden was well loved and cared for, like he had loved and cared for her daughter.

Kagome paused at this, suddenly struck with the thought that she'd told them both the truth. She allowed herself a twisted smile as she realized Inuyasha was going to have to explain why Izumi could be his daughter, but not the young _miko_'s. Oh how fascinating it would be to explain the other woman. She only wished she could be there to see it-

She whirled around, hand outstretched in a threatening gesture towards the figure that had just appeared out of the rain. She gave a sardonic smile and put her hand down. "Come to see our 'lovechild' as well, Inuyasha?"

He gave her a haunted look, ears flat in the rain as he stood in front of her. His arms were useless at his side as his eyes ran over the way the clothes clung to her body. She had gained weight since the night she had run out from his life, but it looked good on her. It gave her curves and made her thighs and breast seem almost swollen in the faint light from a street lamp far away. "You can't harm her, Kagome." He said softly.

She laughed and turned away from him. "What made you think I was going to harm her, dear? That would ruin all my carefully thought out plans."

"Is that what you did in hell? Is come up with plans for revenge?" Inuyasha's fists clenched and his voice sounded angry.

"What else is there to do in hell, love…" She said softly, turning her face towards him. "Besides burn for all eternity…?" Her brown eyes were soft as she walked towards him. "I thought about you often, you know." She came close to him and took a strand of his silver hair, twisting it through her fingers lovingly. "I always hoped you'd come to save me some day…"

"I didn't." He said flatly, ignoring the urge to reach out and wrap his arms around her; to hold her close to him and never let go.

"I'm not mad at you." She whispered desperately, taking his face in her hands. She was sincere and honest in this declaration. "I don't blame you for what happened. I don't at all."

"Then who do you blame, Kagome?" He asked. He so very much wanted to believe her.

"I blame her." Kagome let her fingers trail from his face down his neck and to his sopping wet chest. "I blame Izumi."

Inuyasha's hands reached up and firmly pushed hers away. "Izumi was right." He said softly, not looking her in the eye. "You have gone crazy. You're not the same, Kagome."

Kagome whimpered, searching in his eyes for some hint of love – of compassion for her. All she found was a winding well of bitterness, as eternal and never ending as the one she had jumped down day after day to see him when they were both younger. It frightened her that he was angry with her. She had never wanted him to be mad. She stepped away, suddenly aware that there wasn't enough oxygen where she was. Kagome never stopped looking at him as she exclaimed, "We could've been happy together! We could've lived! All you had to do was realize the lies…the _shit_ she's been tell you and…!" She put a hand up to her face, overcome with sobs. He hated her. She could see it. "I hate you too." She whispered, knowing he would hear it past the torrential rain. "I hate you so much." She ran past him towards the well, blinded by fury and pain.

Inuyasha let her go. He couldn't have killed her then even if he wanted to. He looked up at the window of Izumi's room and hoped to god that somebody would just kill him now and end his pain.


End file.
